Frost Byte
by MadnessJones
Summary: TTR: A Toon that was raised by Cogs must rediscover her inner silliness and good cheer when she moves to Toon Central and meets other Toons for the first time. Secrets kept and a never-ending battle between Toon and Cog are just two of the challenges facing this apprehensive and confused Toon.
1. The Invasion

_Author's Notes: Well, it's happened. I've found another franchise with great world building opportunities. I thought long and hard before I posted this story because I know it isn't one of my typical fanfics, but I just love this idea so much and wanted to explore the Tooniverse through my writing. This is the first franchise I've ever seen on this site where almost any character I use has to be an OC because there is no real protagonist in the game (Flippy doesn't count because he's an NPC). This first chapter will have a slightly different feel to the game because it's a prologue and the Toons aren't that familiar with the Cogs yet. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thank you to anyone who reads this story, and I would love to read some reviews from you guys :)_

* * *

Chapter 1

The Invasion

For as long as any Toon could remember the world of Toontown had been an unchanging utopia. Everything was funny, colorful, and full of laughter. Even things that were technically considered work melded perfectly with play so that no one could tell the difference. There were schools that taught improv and had lots of recess time, snowcapped mountains with sparkly snowflakes, and parks with gag shops and ice cream parlors at nearly every turn.

Deerborne, a sienna colored female deer, had lived on the outskirts of Daisy Gardens for many years and had never seen pain or extreme sadness in her life. She had even bought a special Toon Maker pencil and drawn her first child; a baby deer girl with aqua colored fur. Her small estate was quiet, her garden was well tended, and her neighbors were friendly as could be.

Everything was perfect...until the Cogs came.

It had happened without warning, thousands of robots propelled down from the sky like a giant swarm of angry bees. It was as if the very sky had turned grey to announce the presence of this new threat. No Toon had ever seen a Cog before and didn't know what they were at first. Everyone was unprepared for the eminent invasion.

Unfortunately for Deerborne and her friends, they were right in the path of a swath of land the Cogs wanted for their Sellbot HQ, and large ugly grey buildings fell from the sky and destroyed many homes. Most of Deerborne's neighbors were flattened by the buildings and never made it out. Deerborne had been outside tending her garden at the time with her baby on her back, otherwise she would have perished along with her house.

For weeks Deerborne watched and ran as the Cogs took over more and more of Daisy Gardens. A few of her surviving friends joined her as they ran for the safety of the playground. The refugees had to sleep at their local Headquarters because the hotel was too close to the danger zone. Everyone in Daisy Gardens was afraid, and Deerborne was sure that this was the end of the world.

Many Toons became chronically saddened, a condition that causes sickness and lethargy in Toons, and the doctors did everything they could to keep their patients' Laff energy up. The ice cream and flower supplies ran low, and the normal remedies of jokes, tickling, and dancing for their patients only delayed the inevitable waves of sadness that would overtake the Toons when they so much as thought about the cold robotic drones that had stolen their homes and destroyed many of their friends.

Deerborne rocked her baby to sleep on the floor of the HQ. She had one thin blanket to keep her warm, a pillow, and one blanket to sleep on. It was a kindness of the HQ Toons to provide these things to her and the others, but it was uncomfortable to try to sleep this way. She just couldn't stop thinking about that horrid Sellbot HQ that spewed smoke over where her house and her garden used to be. That was where her daughter was supposed to grow up, and now it was all gone thanks to those heartless machines.

"We have to do something," Deerborne whispered to herself, though in fact someone else was listening.

"I hear that," A pink dog in a white tutu agreed, "Listen hun, a couple others Toons and I have been talking about taking back our land, and if you want you can help us out. We figured out the Cogs have practically no sense of humor when it comes to physical comedy, and they can't handle gags nearly as well as we can, so we're gonna load up on ammo at Goofy's Gag Shop and storm that awful HQ. What do you say? Are you with us?"

"Um, how many of you are there exactly?" Deerborne asked apprehensively.

" _Well_...three," The pink dog admitted sheepishly, "It's just me, McBroface, and Sir Oscar Clawed. By the way, my name is Princess Poodle. What's yours?"

"Deerborne," the titular deer replied cautiously, "I don't know if I should. I have a baby to look after, and those Cogs are really powerful. Most of them are so tall and big, and even the little ones are terrifying and cold. I don't know if I can do it."

"None of us know, but if we don't try those monsters will mow down Toontown like overgrown grass," Princess Poodle pointed out, "Everyone else here has been too cowardly to help. If you don't help us, then it'll be three against thousands."

"If I _do_ join it's still just four against thousands," Deerborne pointed out pessimistically, "Yeesh, my Laff is dipping into the single digits just thinking about it."

"Fine. I understand," Princess Poodle reluctantly said, "If the boys and I have to go it alone, then we will. Just think about it though. We're leaving the playground in three hours. I'll pick up some extra gags for you just in case you change your mind."

With that the pink dog got up and joined a yellow monkey and a green bear. Deerborne assumed those were the other questers. They didn't look very tough, but then again nobody in Toontown looked too intimidating. It just wasn't the Toon way to be mean and scary.

Deerborne knew Toontown was likely doomed. Everything they had built up was being torn down and stolen by the Cogs. She looked down at her infant daughter, and her baby girl looked up at her with innocent looking black eyes. Deerborne hadn't even had time to go to the Toon Council building to get her child named yet. She had been too busy running from Cogs in an effort to keep her and her baby alive. Was that what forever was going to look like? Her daughter's Laff never developing because running from Cogs made her too sad? Grey smog and colorless landscapes for as far as the eye could see? The Cogs taking everything they had and forcing any surviving Toons to conform to their way of life?

 _No_. Deerborne would not let that happen. She was tired of running. She was tired of depleting her own Laff with these bleak thoughts of the future. She was going to fight and her and her baby were going to have a bright future and live to see a colorful world again.

"Princess Poodle!" Deerborne yelled across the room to where the pink dog was standing, "I'm in."

* * *

This infiltration had been a terrible idea.

When the clerks at Goofy's Gag Shop heard about the brave Toons that were going to liberate them from their Cog oppressors they had allowed the Toons to buy every gag they had available. As it turned out, that had been a grave mistake.

McBroface, the yellow monkey, hurt his arms trying to throw a wedding cake that was bigger than he was, which caused part of his Laff to deplete because he was in pain. Deerborne tried to use a megaphone to tell jokes to the other Toons to heal them, but she held the megaphone the wrong way, which caused her voice to not be heard and the Cogs to smirk in amusement at her foolishness. Princess Poodle lost their magnets when she accidentally aimed them all at the wall (which was made of metal), and no one was strong enough to get them back.

Sir Oscar Clawed was probably their best fighter since his Laff was at 76 and he knew how to use the elephant trunk sound gag. He had been a professional stunt double for their community theatre, so he was better at gags than a normal civilian. The only problem with his skills was that the Cogs could tell he was the biggest threat and therefore often aimed most of their attacks exclusively at him.

Deerborne followed the others wherever they went in the Sellbot factory. They hoped that by destroying the factory they could interrupt the flow of new Cogs and give the other Toons a fighting chance. The baby would occasionally stir and cry a little when jostled too much inside the carrying sack on Deerborne's back, so Deerborne would have to slow down every now and then to comfort her, which would result in Deerborne getting separated from the group.

It was at the third level that the group received its first casualty. A Mover and Shaker Cog caused an earthquake that made Princess Poodle fall on her arm wrong. The arm broke at the elbow, but the real damage was to her Laff meter. Princess Poodle sat on the ground and began to cry uncontrollably, and the other Toons didn't know how to revive a Laff meter that was at 0. The Mover and Shaker came forward, and the other three Toons tried to shield Princess Poodle from his advances, but he merely swatted them away.

Princess's color was draining, and she was losing consciousness. The Mover and Shaker picked her up, and despite the Toons trying to throw any gag they could at him he opened a window and threw Princess Poodle over the edge! The others gasped in horror. Under normal circumstances a Toon could survive a bad fall. At most it would merely flatten them for a few minutes. Princess Poodle however had no Laff energy, and without it the impact would likely kill her.

The others were angry at the Cog for what he had done to their friend, so they threw every pie, cake, and whatever else they could find at the Cog. The Cog exploded into a million little metal pieces, and the Toons got onto the elevator for the next level; unable even to mourn.

* * *

The factory seemed endless. With only three of them left the battles were taking even longer, and Sir Oscar Clawed was running low on Laff. Deerborne tried to heal the others every chance she got, but she didn't know what she was doing so most of the time her attempts at jokes did nothing. They made it to the top floor (which they hoped was the right place to go) and there they were confronted by several smaller Cogs surrounded by a Mingler.

"I'm the boss," The Mingler informed them in a clipped yet monotone voice.

The Toons gulped in fear. There was the Mingler as well as two Name Droppers and a Mover and Shaker in the room, as well as about a dozen or so Cogs waiting in an open elevator on the other side of the room. Everyone was running low on Laff and their gags were nearly depleted. They had lost Princess Poodle, and now it looked as if they were next.

Finally, gathering up all of his courage, McBroface lifted a whole cream pie and shouted "For Toontown!". He threw the pie at the Mingler, and the projectile gag hit its target. To everyone's shock and dismay however, the Mingler merely looked down at where the pie had hit her chest and wiped off the offending foodstuff with a detached expression. She then glared back at them, and that was when McBroface knew he had messed up.

"You seem to believe you have the upper hand in this negotiation," The Mingler said coldly, "Well, I believe it's time for a _paradigm shift_."

That was exactly what she did. She used an attack called Paradigm Shift, an attack that hit every Toon at once with incredible damage, which caused McBroface and Sir Oscar Clawed to pass out. Deerborne had taken the least damage since their quest began, and now she was the only one left. She only hoped her baby couldn't feel the waves of sadness generated by the Cogs. She didn't want to lose her only child this way, not when they were so close to freeing Daisy Gardens.

Deerborne searched for gags but could only find a green squirt gun. That wasn't going to even make a dent in the army of Cogs standing before her. She considered surrender, but she knew these robots would show no mercy. Deerborne honestly didn't know what Cogs did to prisoners, or if they even took prisoners. The thought was terrifying enough to keep her from considering this option, however.

Deerborne aimed her gag at the Mingler since it was the only Cog already damaged. She fired, but the Mingler stepped out of the way. Deerborne had missed with her only gag, and now she was out of ammo. She was doomed.

"Oh, poor Toon," The Mingler cooed mockingly, "It's okay. Personally I think this is all for the best. I think this has been a very productive meeting, however I will have to reject your resumè. You're simply not qualified to work with us."

The Mingler then used her Paradigm Shift attack again, and Deerborne fell to the ground defeated. The Toons were all passed out and likely wouldn't survive. The Cogs had won the day.

"HDH-489," The Mingler addressed one of her Name Droppers, "Call a cleaning crew to dispose of this mess."

"Yes, ma'am," The Mingler's assistant replied dutifully.

The Mingler and her employees then left the room, leaving the remains for someone else to deal with.

* * *

A few minutes later, a Telemarketer, a Cold Caller, and a Name Dropper entered the room with their cleaning supplies to clean up the mess left behind by their boss's battle. It was an ugly sight to see three Toons drained of color and lifeless on the ground, but the Cogs thought little of it.

"Alright everyone, pick a body," The Telemarketer, FTR-416, ordered his colleagues, "You know the drill. Check the pockets and gloves for anything worth taking. Finders keepers. I choose the deer."

"I get the bear!" The Name Dropper, DD-2831, called out greedily.

"That leaves me with... _the monkey_? Aww, man...," The Cold Caller, RJ-5252, whined dejectedly, "He's only wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He probably doesn't have anything."

"Just take what you can and then let's get these things out of here before their ink drains all over the floor," FTR-416 ordered curtly, "We have to get back to making calls as soon as possible."

With those words the three Cogs started looting the corpses of their enemies. This was a common practice among Cogs ever since one Toon that had passed out awoke and started pelting them with leftover gags. Ever since then Cogs were ordered to remove all gags from a defeated Toon, and of course many Cogs also took valuables for their own coffers.

FTR-416 didn't find anything of use inside the skirt pockets of the downed deer, but soon he saw that the bag on her back was moving and making soft noises. FTR assumed it was a Doodle, which were worth a lot of money to Toons. He opened the crudely tied bindle and found staring back at him a wide-eyed blue baby deer! It was a Toon, but it wasn't fully developed. FTR's memory banks informed him this was what was known as a 'baby Toon'.

"Hey guys, come over here. I found something of interest," FTR called his colleagues, and they walked over to see what he had, "It is a baby Toon."

RJ gasped and took a cautious step back. DD scowled at the little deer in distaste.

"It's another Toon!" RJ overreacted, "Quick, somebody get me a water cooler. I'll drain its Laff dry!"

" _Dry_? With _water_?" DD asked cynically, "Calm down, RJ-5252. It's helpless. In fact all we have to do is make it a little sad and then throw it on the ground. That should take care of the Toon easily."

"That is not your decision to make," FTR pointed out as he shot a glare at his subordinate, "I am in charge of the janitorial staff and I found this Toon. Therefore I will decide how best to utilize this new resource."

" _New resource_?" DD-2831 exclaimed caustically, "It's a liability. Toons don't work and they break Cogs with their ridiculous gags. They have no purpose, and exist only to exist. That thing is as much a resource as the gum on the bottom of my shoe."

"I once used gum to plug up a hole in the boiler room," RJ-5252 mused, which caused both other Cogs to stare at him like he was crazy, "I'm just saying FTR-416 has a point. Just because the Toon is currently without purpose doesn't mean we can't give it one."

"Exactly," FTR nodded in approval, "I intend to fill out the proper requisition forms to make this Toon my intern."

"Intern?" DD asked, suddenly very interested, "You think that could actually work?"

"I do," FTR replied resolutely, "This will be a most interesting experiment. We will provide this Toon with on the job training and see if it will make a decent Sellbot someday. Who knows? Perhaps someday it can even learn how to work the phones and schmooze with clients."

"I've always wanted an assistant," DD said wistfully, "I can see it now. The Toon could get my ethanol, pick up my dry cleaning, and deliver my sales reports to the boss. I wouldn't even have to get out of my chair."

"Easy now," FTR stopped DD's daydreaming, "This Toon was found by me, and I am the one that will supervise its training. Therefore, the Toon is _my_ assistant."

"Can I name it?" RJ asked eagerly, "I never get to name projects. Please let me name it boss, please!"

FTR sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before he turned to the Cold Caller and said "Fine, RJ-5252. You can name it."

"Yes!" RJ shouted and pumped his fist against his side, "Oh, this is going to be great. We're going to convert a Toon into an efficient intern."

"Or it'll murder us all," DD-2831 added sardonically, "Either way it'll be interesting. So FTR-416, can I borrow it?"

"Excuse me?" FTR asked as he scowled at his colleague.

"When you get the Toon trained. Can I borrow it?" DD asked as nicely as she could manage, "Just for important occasions like trying to impress clients and when I have too much work to do and not enough time."

"First let us see if this experiment works," FTR replied cautiously, "You and RJ-5252 will throw the bodies out the window. I will begin reading up on how to keep a Toon alive. The Toon will not be useful for a while yet, but I believe working with the Toon will pay off."

FTR-416 then left the room with the bundle of Toon in his arms. He just hoped when RJ-5252 finally came up with a name it wasn't something stupid or punny. The Toon would have a hard enough time being taken seriously without a bad name ruining its chances for a successful career.


	2. The New Shop

_Author's Notes: Wow, it feels like forever since I've been able to post anything on this site. It probably hasn't been all that long, but it feels that way to me. I would like to thank everyone who has given this experiment a chance, and I will do my best to make this story a good one. In this chapter not a lot happens since this chapter is more to establish character rather than move the plot along. I'd call it a laid back chapter. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing my fic, and I hope you enjoy this chapter of "Frost Byte"._

 _Other Notes: Toontown and Who Framed Roger Rabbit may or may not take place in the same universe. Also, Dilbot is a shout out to one of my favorite comic strips; Dilbert :)_

* * *

Chapter 2

The New Shop

16 years had passed since the initial Cog invasion. Oddly enough things in Toontown had returned to a sort of normalcy, though no one could really say life was the same as before. The Cogs continued to advance on the various regions of Toontown, but the Toons had become more proficient in defeating Cogs and reclaiming their land. It seemed to be a never-ending cycle of battle and respite, but at least it wasn't nearly as fatal as it had been in the beginning.

One thing that changed was how gags were sold to Toons. Toons now needed to train for certain types of gags and certain levels of the same gag so that no one got stuck trying to work with more than they could handle. Despite the difficulty, however, most young Toons still decided to go through with gag training and fight against the Cogs to save their home. It was nothing short of a civilian army.

It was in this landscape that Patsy, a tall pink bunny in a blue dress, and her photographer Oliver McQuack, a yellow duck wearing a baseball cap and a striped shirt with red shorts, worked together at News For The Amused in Toon Central. It was a small but respected newspaper with lots of comics and pages for coloring. Patsy mostly wrote cute stories like PIG AND FISHING POLE SAVE THE DAY and DOES YOUR DOODLE LOVE YOU? SCIENCE SAYS YES! It was a job both Toons loved and excelled at.

On this particular day a new shop had opened up in the playground area next to Goofy's Gag Shop, and it was Patsy's and Oliver's job to report on the grand opening. It was a candy store called Neat Sweet Treats, and the candy there was said to increase a Toon's happiness by anywhere from 5 to 15 points depending on what flavor one got. Patsy was excited to write all about it, and Oliver had his camera at the ready to take lots of photos.

When they got inside the candy store they could see there was already a long line. The walls and front display case were filled with delicious looking treats, and standing at the counter was an aqua blue colored deer with glasses and a plain outfit consisting of a white button down shirt and a khaki skirt. Patsy wanted to interview the new shopkeeper but knew she would have to wait for the line to thin out.

"Hey Patsy, look!" Oliver McQuack exclaimed, "Fudgy Balls with sprinkles! Let's get that!"

"Okay," Patsy replied agreeably, "Maybe we could also get some Fruity Cubes and Pop 'Ems. Those things are great!"

Both Toons loaded up a couple bags full of goodies and waited in line to make their purchases. It took a few minutes before the line moved enough for them to buy their items, but Patsy didn't waste any time and asked questions of those that had already bought things and tried samples. Apparently the reviews so far were good.

Finally they made it to the front, and the deer girl took their items one by one and rang them up on what had to be the fanciest looking cash register Patsy had ever seen. Most Toons just used a regular register with pop-up pictures of the items, but this thing only had numbers and symbols on it. How could anyone read such a complicated thing?

"Your total is 27 jellybeans," The deer told Patsy in a drab nasally voice, "Would you like to receive our weekly specials flier?"

"Um, no thanks," Patsy replied politely, "But I would like to interview you for my column in News For The Amused. We like to feature new shopkeepers for our Toon interest stories."

"That sounds beneficial. Meet me after closing time," The deer instructed, "I'll be right here. Thank you and have a productive day."

Patsy and Oliver paid the deer and scampered off to eat their candy. As it turned out everything was delicious, though Oliver ate all the Fudgy Balls before Patsy could try any, so to get him back she swiped a Fruity Cube he was going to eat before he got the chance. He gave her a challenging yet not unfriendly look, and they raced each other to the trolley to play tag.

* * *

A few hours of trolley games later and the duo realized it was dark outside. The candy store had been closed for a while now, and they feared they had missed their chance to interview the new Toon in town. Just to make sure she was actually gone Oliver went over to the window and peeked, only to see the deer was still there sitting in a chair and organizing jelly beans by color into separate sacks.

"She's still in there! We can still get the interview!" Oliver shouted at Patsy, who was across the playground near the HQ.

The deer heard the shouting as well and went to open the door for the reporters. She stepped aside as the duck and rabbit made their way in. She sat down at her chair while they remained on the other side of the counter.

"Thank you for staying in the shop and waiting for us," Patsy said gratefully.

"I wasn't waiting for you," The deer replied dully, "Honestly I forgot you were coming. So, how should we begin?"

"Well, first of all tell us a little bit about yourself," Patsy replied cheerfully as she took out a notepad and pen, "What made you want to open a candy shop?"

"There are only ice cream parlors and diners in this region of Toontown," The deer replied matter-of-factly, "Candy seemed like an untapped market with a high growth potential. I figure sales will remain at a steady increase for the next four quarters, and then afterward decline should happen at a slow enough rate to allow for a rebound in the market after a brief lull."

Patsy's eyes were glazed over after hearing that answer. What in the world was that? Did the deer even answer the question? It sounded more like the mumbo jumbo one would hear from a Double Talker after it got squirt with water.

"Um... _okay_ ," Patsy floundered for a moment before recovering enough to say, "So, what's your name? Where are you from?"

"My name is Frost Byte. That is spelled B-Y-T-E," The titular deer replied, "And I am from the outskirts of Daisy Gardens."

"Hey, my mom is from Daisy Gardens," Oliver McQuack replied happily, "Do you know Raindew Muttonchop McWaddle?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't," Frost replied apologetically, "I'm sorry to say I don't make new contacts easily. I tend to be rather...I suppose _rigid_ would be the correct word for it. I know that will probably hinder my shop's performance a bit, but hopefully my product will be good enough for Toons to overlook my less than stellar personality."

"Oh, don't put yourself down so much," Patsy waved away the comments, "I'm sure you're a great friend once Toons get to know you. After all, only a true artist can make candy that restores Laff the way yours does."

"Restores what?" Frost asked in confusion, "Could you repeat that please? It might be a good marketing ploy."

"Laff," Patsy repeated, though with a hint of confusion, "I mean, you had to know candy is good for your Laff, right?"

"I, um..." Frost wasn't sure whether to voice her next question or not, but ultimately curiosity got the better of her, "What is 'Laff'?"

Patsy and Oliver looked at the shopkeeper like she had lost her mind. Who didn't know about Laff? It was as basic as breathing and throwing a pie in someone's face. Still, the serious and bewildered face Frost was making indicated that she wasn't joking.

"Your Laff is a sign of your overall health," Patsy explained to Frost Byte, "It's that funny feeling inside that makes you Toony. Without Laff energy we'd all be nothing but soulless sad-sacks. Don't you go to the doctor to check on whether or not your Laff has been restored after a hard battle or a long day?"

"My doctor never mentioned Laff to me before," Frost replied calmly; unaware of the full implications of low Laff, "He did say however that my posture is a bit off. He believes it is due to the chair I slept on at home and suggested suing the company. I chose not to since I didn't have the time."

Oliver leaned over to Patsy asked whispered " _What's suing_?"

"I think I've heard the term," Patsy whispered back, "But I don't know what it means. I think it's like a stapler or something," Patsy then turned back to Frost and said "You should get your Laff checked out. If you haven't been maintaining it properly then you might be close to going sad. To be honest, you already look kind of listless. That might be a sign of low Laff energy. If you want, Oliver and I could go with you to see Dr. Tom Foolery. He's great with new patients."

"Why would you do that for me? You don't even know me," Frost asked in confusion.

"Well, we could be friends, right?" Patsy asked hopefully, "Oliver and I love making new friends! We could exchange phone numbers if you want...or not, either way is okay."

"Exchange numbers?" Frost asked, her ears perking up, "Alright then. We can meet in front of the doctor's office tomorrow afternoon after I close the shop."

Patsy and Oliver McQuack agreed and the three of them exchanged numbers. Patsy was happy to make a new friend and help a Toon out, Oliver was happy the interview was short so he could go home and get some sleep, and Frost was happy to finally have some contact numbers in her rolodex.

* * *

The next day Patsy and Oliver McQuack walked over to Dr. Foolery's office, and just as promised Frost Byte was already waiting there. The deer was looking up at the sky and adjusting her glasses as if she wanted to see something more clearly. Oliver and Patsy walked over and greeted her with warm Toony smiles, and Frost Byte smiled back at them, although with less enthusiasm.

"I am grateful you came with me to make an appointment with the doctor," Frost said in a placid manner, "I couldn't find a phone book anywhere so I wasn't able to call him."

"Phone books haven't existed in Toontown for years," Oliver informed her, surprised she didn't know, "We had to discontinue them when Cogs got ahold of them and called Toons so much they caused a chronic wave of sadness. It was called the Ginormous Telemarketer Plague of a Bunch of Years Ago."

Frost raised her eyebrow at that ridiculous overly long name, but decided not to ask about the subject. Instead she walked into the doctor's building with her new newsy friends in tow.

When Frost got inside she could see that the reception office was small and decorated in green wallpaper. It looked newly decorated, and smelled more like a bakery than a sterilized medical facility. Standing at the counter was a royal blue duck wearing a white T-shirt and looking at the group with a friendly expression.

"Excuse me," Frost called out as she approached the desk, "I would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Tom Foolery."

"I'm Dr. Tom, nice to meet you," The duck replied jovially, "Hi Oliver, hi Patsy!"

"Hi, Dr. Tom," Patsy greeted him and waved while Oliver likewise waved, "This is Frost Byte. She owns Neat Sweet Treats in the playground. She wants to know more about her Laff. Can you help her?"

"Of course, right this way," Dr. Tom replied as he started walking to the back room.

Frost Byte hesitated for just a moment, surprised at how unprofessional this all felt. She wasn't used to going to a doctor and then being admitted immediately. Appointments were usually scheduled weeks in advance, and then once the appointment was made one would usually have to negotiate with her supervisor to be allowed to take a personal day off work. Tom Foolery's way just seemed...odd.

The room they went into was small but at least this part actually sort of looked like a doctor's office. _Sort of_ because Frost wasn't used to seeing examining tables with comfy cushions or tongue depressors stored in the same jar as lollipops. In fact, Frost had never seen a doctor that kept lollipops around at all. What was the point of having candy in a doctor's office? A doctor's office was no place for fun in her opinion.

"So, what seems to be the trouble with your Laff?" Dr. Tom asked conversationally as he took out his toolkit and some sort of meter.

"She didn't know what Laff energy is," Oliver explained, "Do you think she got hit on the head with an anvil or something?"

"Good grief!" Frost exclaimed; taken aback by such a bold assumption.

"You don't know about your Laff?" Dr. Tom asked in concern, "Well then I supposed you don't have your own Laff reader. That's alright. I'll give you one. No need to worry."

" _Give_? As in _free_?" Frost asked for clarification.

"Of course. A Laff reader is something every Toon needs," Dr. Tom replied, "Now, I'm going to take a reading. You won't feel a thing."

Frost Byte sat there quietly and waited for the ducky doctor to finish his work. Patsy and Oliver waited patiently as well, hoping it wasn't bad news. Dr. Tom waved the scanner over Frost, waited a minute, and then the little device beeped. Dr. Tom looked at the results, and gasped in shock.

"Great Casper's ghost!" Dr. Tom shouted, his eyes bugging out when he saw the meter.

"What is it?" Patsy asked frantically, "Is her Laff at zero?"

"It's worse than that," Dr. Tom replied gravely, "I've never seen an adult Toon with a Laff this chronically low."

"What do you mean, Doc?" Oliver asked.

"A normal maximum Laff at Frost's age would be a minimum of 15," Dr. Tom explained, "Even if the meter went down to nothing, at least it could go back up to 15 or higher. However, Frost Byte's Laff only goes up to 5. Right now it's at 3 of 5, but it won't go much higher than that."

"So 5 is...a bad number?" Frost asked to make sure she understood.

"5 is the number an infant Toon is born with," Dr. Foolery explained, "Laff energy is upgraded as you get older and experience new funnier things. Yours, however, hasn't changed. I've never seen an adult Toon that had such a low maximum Laff. My guess is some sort of defect in the drawing process, or perhaps you saw something that made you permanently depressed. Tell me, did your parents take you to the playground enough as a child? Did you eat enough sweets? Watch enough movies? Scamper about in nature to find beautiful things to bring you joy?"

"Um...I don't understand most of what you just said," Frost Byte admitted with a blank look on her face, "What was that one word you said about the playground?"

"I asked if your parents took you there," Dr. Tom repeated.

"Parents. Yes, that was the word," Frost Byte nodded as she became increasingly puzzled, "Now, explain the word _parents_ to me. What does it mean?"

"What does it _mean_?" Patsy repeated in shock, "Come on Frost, your parents! You can have one or two, but everyone knows what they are. They're the people who drew you, raised you, told you right from wrong, and helped you become who you are today."

"Oh, you mean like a supervisor," Frost nodded, thinking she understood.

"No!" Patsy squealed, "Your parents love you, and help you laugh, and play with you. They feed you, and clothe you, and...how can you not know what that is?"

"It still sounds like a boss to me," Frost Byte shrugged, "Not that it matters. The matter at hand is whether or not my Laff can ever be returned to a state of normalcy. Doctor, what do you recommend?"

"Oh, well that's easy," Dr. Tom replied with a smile, "Just go out and have fun. Help out your neighbors. Do things that make you feel happy and accomplished. Go out and find things that are funny and beautiful."

"Wait," Oliver stopped him, "If Frost doesn't have enough maximum Laff, then I don't think the normal methods will work on her. I mean, how did her Laff get so low in the first place?"

"What I want to know is how you lived so long being this way," Patsy said to Frost with a sympathetic look in her eyes, "I mean, to barely be able to find joy in life at all, and yet you get up every day and greet the big Toony world anyway. That's one of the bravest things I've ever seen. Perhaps we can explore your condition so we can raise awareness for other Toons who might be experiencing the same thing."

"Oh, for crying out- I'm not diseased!" Frost exclaimed in annoyance, "I'm just boring! There's nothing wrong with being boring. My Laff is sufficient for the life that I lead. If I get too sad I can just read some Dilbot comics. Those always cheer me up."

"I've never read that comic series," Patsy admitted, "Must be from Blues News or something."

"I happen to have one in my pocket," Frost Byte said before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and handing it to Patsy.

Patsy looked down at the wrinkled up comic, and saw that the two characters in the panels were cogs. One was a Flunky and the other was a Headhunter with pointy hair for some reason. The Flunky said "I've given my entire functional life to this company, and now you're firing me just so you can keep your own job?" To which the Headhunter replied "Don't think of it as firing, think of it as targeted immolation.".

"Oh no," Patsy said in a shaky voice, "I think my Laff went down 12 points. That is such a mean and depressing comic. There's no slapstick, no chase scene, nothing. It's just a Cog getting fired by another Cog. Frost Byte, this might be part of the problem. You're reading depressing comics."

"It's observational humor," Frost shrugged; not seeing the problem, "It's funny because this is very close to how Cog office politics actually works."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at that statement, but no one noticed him or his reactions as they continued to talk about Frost's condition. Something didn't seem right about this new Toon. Her Laff was too low, she never left her shop even to go to her estate, her demeanor and manner of speech was odd to say the least, and despite her inability to fight Cogs she still seemed to have a working knowledge of them. Oliver McQuack hoped he was wrong, but he suspected that Frost Byte might be a Cog sympathizer, maybe even a spy.


	3. Bring Your Daughter To Work

_Author's Notes: Well, I think this fic replaced Meritocracy as my least popular story on this site. I don't care though because this story is just getting started and I have so many ideas for this fic! Thank you to everyone who is reading. You guys are great! Please review, favorite, and follow to see more :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

Bring Your Daughter to Work

FTR-416 mopped up the oil footprints at the entrance of the factory that had been left behind by some careless employee. He and his team had been hard at work all day after the latest Toon invasion. Dozens of Skelecogs had been destroyed, and many of the remaining Sellbots were complaining about the lack of security at the entrance. One Toon had been captured and transported to Lawbot HQ for trial, but for many of the Sellbots it wasn't enough.

/Telemarketer FTR-416,/ A masculine robotic voice intoned into FTR's built-in intercom, /This is your boss. Congratulations on your recent performance review. You have earned a day off to be spent in the manner of your choosing. I expect a full written report on your day off when you return to work tomorrow. Goodbye./

/Thank you sir, goodbye,/ FTR replied respectfully before hanging up.

FTR liked the boss they had now. FTR didn't work directly under the VP, but rather under a Mr. Hollywood named DGH-134. The custodial staff was still pretty small, just three Cogs, and had gotten even smaller since their fourth employee had recently sent in her resignation notice to the company. He could understand that Frost Byte wanted to be her own Bossbot, but it still felt like there was something missing without her around to stiffen the mood.

With an entire day to spend doing whatever he wanted, FTR went back to his cubicle and placed his mop on the hanger with his other brooms and mops. He then turned to his desk with the computer and telephone and flipped through his Rolodex to see who he could call. It didn't take him long to find the number of the individual he was looking for, and he dialed said number and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello?" A nasally feminine voice answered.

"Greetings, ma'am. I am selling a comprehensive weight loss program for dogs," FTR said cordially, "How many can I put you down for?"

"Boss!" Frost Byte exclaimed on the other end of the phone, "I don't know how you got my number so quickly, but I am happy to hear from you. I hope you're not on the clock."

"I am not," FTR replied, "So, how are you adjusting to Toon Central?"

"It's been rough, honestly," Frost Byte admitted, "Well, I should rephrase that. From a financial perspective I have been doing very well. My customers love my product and I have had several repeat visits from various Toons. By the way, thank RJ-5252 for selling me that cookbook. Mentally and psychologically however it is exhausting. I went to a doctor yesterday, and apparently I have a low Laff."

"Laff?" FTR thought for a second to recall what that was, "Ah, yes, the Laff. Attacking a Toon's Laff energy is how we immobilize and defeat them."

"Yes, well mine is very low," Frost told him, "Sir, I hate to admit this, but I'm scared. I don't know if I'm dying or if this is something that will debilitate me in the future. I also don't relate to other Toons very well. I have made two new contacts since I got here and I'm really nervous."

"Do they buy your products?" FTR asked her.

"Yes," Frost replied.

"Then you are doing fine," FTR assured her, "As long as they buy then they love your product. If they love your product then they don't have to love you. Work harder to build contacts with those that are still uncertain about your product, and build relationships with those that can benefit your business. I suggest giving your card to the sugar and chocolate wholesalers and any local farmers in your area."

"The business cards hurt the Toons for some reason," Frost informed him, "I've resorted to writing my phone number and fax down on sparkly greeting cards just so the Toons will take them. I ran out of blanks at one point and started handing my customers cards that read 'It's A Boy' on the front. The profit is great but working in Toon Central hurts my head."

"About your new contacts. Do they benefit you?" FTR asked pointedly.

"Yes, sir," Frost replied, "They are reporters, and they have given my business good press. My sales traffic increased 7%. So, how are RJ-5252 and DD-2831?"

"They are still functional," FTR replied, "RJ-5252's hot air balloon fish recently died. He still has plenty of fish in his aquarium, but he is upset because he liked that hot air balloon fish. DD-2831 recently met Mingler WRBL-83 and has not shut up about meeting Mingler WRBL-83 ever since. At least she finally stopped talking about Corporate Raider SHM-2693. We have managed to keep the factory clean in your absence, though I must admit to missing your presence. RJ-5252 misses your presence also, and DD-2831 misses your ability to run errands for her."

"Tell them I miss them as well," Frost said with a wistful smile from her end of the phone call, "But also tell them I'm doing well. If I make enough jellybeans I'll open a second location in Minnie's Melodyland. Maybe on Alto Avenue. Well, I need to go now. Oh, and I am not currently interested in a weight loss program for dogs. Goodbye, sir. Take care of yourself."

"Have a productive evening, Frost Byte," FTR replied, "Goodbye."

FTR-416 then hung up the phone and started looking through his to-do list on his computer. He decided that he could skim the information networks for more phone numbers. He might've been a janitor, but he was still a Telemarketer and still had a quota of phone calls to make. His diligence earned him this mandated vacation, and if he ever wanted another one he needed to get back to work.

While his body was focused on researching Toons' phone numbers his CPU was far away reminiscing about the past 16 years. Frost Byte had been a part of his function for so long that it was difficult to adjust to her being gone. She was such a hard worker and so serious-minded that it was hard for him to believe sometimes that she was a Toon. It was also hard to believe the learning curve he and his colleagues had gone through when she was an infant.

...

16 years ago when the trio of Sellbots first brought the baby deer back to FTR's cubicle there was a palpable excitement to having this new challenge set before them. Once that excitement wore off however, none of them knew quite what to do next.

"So...Do you plug it in somewhere?" DD-2831 asked when they got back to FTR-416's cubicle.

"I am unsure," FTR confessed, "RJ-5252, you sell encyclopedias. Do you have anything on Toons?"

"I'll check," RJ replied before walking across from FTR's cubicle to his own.

While RJ was gone the baby started getting fussy, and the Cogs could do little more than stare down at the Toon as it started to softly cry and fidget in FTR's arms. RJ returned a moment later with a CD containing the information from every encyclopedia he sold. He uploaded the database and began to search for intel on baby Toons, all the while the crying got louder and louder.

"Hey!" A Mover and Shaker shouted, "Be quiet over there! Some of us are trying to work."

"My apologies, sir," FTR-416 replied to his superior, "We are working on resolving the issue."

"AAAH!" The baby then cried even louder than before.

"Make it stop!" DD-2831 wailed as she covered her audial receptors, "Why is it making that noise? Is it broken?"

"Got it!" RJ announced victoriously, "According to this article, baby Toons have low Laff energy, whatever that means. The jist is they get sad frequently and require a very controlled environment to be content."

"Controlled environment?" FTR repeated, "We can do that."

A few minutes later they learned that Toons need biofuel to function in a similar way Cogs did, though they could not consume ethanol as a substitute since it would kill them. The Toon didn't look old enough for solid food, so RJ-5252 was sent out to get her some coffee from the break room. RJ came back a moment later with a mug of hot steaming coffee for the Toon.

"You stupid Barp!" DD snapped at RJ when she saw the coffee, "Didn't you look at the pictures in the article? Baby Toons need _bottles_ for their beverages. Go do it again!"

RJ grumbled under his breath but did as he was told. After all he was only a level 1 and DD was a level 3. He had to do what she said even though FTR was technically his boss. Sometimes it really stunk to be the lowest ranked member of a team.

A few minutes later RJ returned with a bottle he fashioned from a stretched and warped rubber hose and a coffee mug. It didn't look professional, but it would get the job done. RJ just hoped the baby didn't have gag-throwing reflexes and try to hit his head with the mug or something.

"Okay guys, I did my job, and now I get to name it, right?" RJ asked insistently.

"Have you come up with a good name already?" FTR-416 asked; mildly impressed.

"I have," RJ replied proudly, "I would like to call the new intern Frost Byte."

"Frost Byte, huh?" DD repeated as she smirked at her short blue colleague, "Sounds like a name a Cold Caller would come up with. I'm surprised you didn't just call her Ice Tray."

"Oh _har har,_ very funny," RJ retorted with his hand on his hip, "And what have you contributed to the new project?"

"Hm...I could requisition her a new suit," DD suggested, "Extra small of course. I don't even think Micromanager size is small enough for this one. I might have to make it myself."

"Can you sew?" FTR asked.

"No, but I can download the technique," DD shrugged, "So, is she intaking the coffee?"

FTR looked down to see if Frost Byte was drinking the bitter liquid, and while it didn't look like she was enjoying it at all she was indeed drinking. Coffee caused Cogs to become more energetic and increase their work efficiency, but as the days went on it became clear that coffee had the exact opposite effect on Toons and caused them to slow down instead.

Days became weeks, and weeks became months. The Toon grew quickly, though not as quickly as the Cogs had hoped. For a long time she was useless to their bottom line and even forced them to waste time caring for her every need.

FTR had discovered on the first night that Toons need sleep to recharge their mental and physical abilities, so he had opened a file cabinet full of empty folders and expired contracts for her to sleep in. The soft papers weren't as good as fabric, but soon baby Frost Byte got used to the arrangement and took to the file cabinet easily. When she got older and grew too tall for the file cabinet, FTR bought an ergonomic office chair with a swivel seat and wheels for her to sleep in. It took awhile for the deer child to learn to sleep sitting up, but once she did she never went back.

RJ-5252 knew Toons needed fun things to keep them from getting depressed and dying, so he put himself in charge of Frost Byte's entertainment. From infancy onward Frost Byte would be taken to RJ's cubicle for an hour of entertainment, which mostly meant looking at and feeding his fish as well as reading Dilbot comics together. Frost Byte learned to read for herself at an early age thanks to her Cog caretakers.

When it was DD's day to babysit she would mostly talk to Frost Byte while she worked, get Frost Byte to help her work, and get her to bring her coffee or pick up her dry cleaning. DD was a great one to learn office gossip from, and also did her best to teach Frost how to schmooze properly.

Of course Frost Byte acted more like FTR than DD or RJ. FTR, despite being a Sellbot, was actually a rather stiff and abrupt individual with poor people skills. Frost Byte wanted to be a social butterfly like DD or an office cut-up like RJ, but she never felt like she had it within herself to reach out to her colleagues beyond the three that were her direct supervisors.

When Frost Byte was 2 years old she started talking for the first time. She referred to every Cog she met as Mr. Boss or Miss Boss. The other Cogs got annoyed because she was too Barping slow to know their names. It took a while for FTR to realize she couldn't read their IDs, but he knew that if this continued it would cause problems for her future advancement in the company.

FTR waited until he had earned a day off before he fixed the problem, and by then Frost was 3. He flew her to Lawbot HQ, and when they arrived at the entrance Frost actually gasped in wonder at what she saw. This place looked nothing like Sellbot HQ. Lawbot HQ was so clean and shiny. Sellbot HQ was covered in smog and oil, and looked so dirty and primitive by comparison.

"Where are we going, Boss?" Little Frost asked FTR as he held her hand and led her through the throngs of Lawbots.

"We are going to see a Spin Doctor to get you prescription glasses," FTR replied as they continued walking.

"Why?" Frost asked innocently.

"These glasses will be very special, Frost Byte," FTR explained in the simplest way he could so she would understand him, "They will read the health meter on the chest of whichever Cog you are looking at and tell you their serial number. That way you will always know to whom you are speaking."

"Cool! Thank you, sir!" Frost Byte exclaimed and bounced up and down, a Toony behavior he had yet to weed out of the little intern, "Do all Spin Doctors work in this pretty HQ?"

"No," FTR replied with an amused smile, "Most Lawbots work in office buildings or on the streets of Toontown, just like us."

Frost was a little disappointed by that answer. If the Lawbots were the same as the Sellbots, then why did Sellbot HQ look so crummy? She was still excited about getting her new glasses however, so she let the question die in her mind and continued to be led by the hand by her supervisor, FTR.

...

In the present day FTR-416 dialed a number for a Toon to try to get them to buy an expensive life insurance policy, but all the while he was staring at a picture of little Frost Byte sitting on his shoulder wearing her new oversized serial reader glasses. She never took them off after that day, and she finally stopped annoying Cogs by not knowing who they were.

As it turned out however, Frost Byte had a talent that came in very handy for the Cogs.

The first time FTR had noticed her unusual gift was when Frost was 8 years old. They were going to the VP's office to requisition more supplies for their factory when they passed by a group of Cogs that were going into an elevator to go to the promotion chamber on the roof.

"See that, Frost Byte? Those Cogs are going to be promoted," FTR explained as he pointed to the group, "Maybe someday if you work hard enough you will also be promoted."

" _Wow_ ," Frost Byte said with awe, "I didn't know there were other Toons that worked in Sellbot Headquarters."

"Other Toons?" FTR asked apprehensively, "There are no other Toons. You are the first Toon to be sanctioned to work as a Sellbot."

"Really? But there are 6 Toons in the elevator," Frost Byte said in confusion as she pointed at them, "Can't you see their heads? They aren't Cogs. They're Toons wearing Cog suits."

FTR admittedly was impressed she could tell what they were. Frost Byte had never seen another Toon since being hired by the Sellbots, so FTR was surprised she could even tell what a Toon was supposed to look like.

Just then the elevator went down, and FTR hurried to call security. The VP was made aware of the situation and managed to make every Toon in the group go sad. Cogs could only read the health meter on the suit to determine identity, which made sense since physically all Cogs looked the same according to their type. Frost Byte however could see and read faces and therefore was able to tell who didn't belong. If only she had desired work as a security guard, then maybe she wouldn't be in Toontown.

* * *

The next morning before dawn Frost Byte awoke from her office chair in the back room and went to the front of the store to check on her inventory. Everything seemed to be in order, so she adjusted her large black-rimmed glasses and got to work making candy at the stove. She cranked up every double boiler she had and started mixing chocolate and flavors at a calculatedly fast pace.

She heard a rooster crow in the background, and then suddenly the night sky folded up like a curtain and was replaced by a bright blue sky and a smiling sun. Frost never saw the sun at Sellbot HQ due to the smog, so it still took a little getting used to. It was a pretty sight though, despite how bright and hot it could be.

Once Frost had finished cooking and decorating the new candies she loaded them in their respective tubes. It was almost time to open, so Frost grabbed a broom and went outside to sweep the walkway.

The outside of Toon Central was surprisingly quiet. Her district wasn't the busiest in the world, but she still expected more people out than this. She looked around and saw a familiar face standing by the pond; Oliver McQuack.

Deciding that the walkway was clean enough for the moment, Frost put away her broom and walked over to the pond to see what Oliver was doing. He seemed to be using a stick to throw a string into the water, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Hello, Oliver McQuack," Frost Byte greeted him, and he jumped a little in surprise.

"Gees, Frost! Don't scare me like that!" Oliver snapped, "Oh, sorry. I just startle easily this time of morning. You wanna fish with me?"

"Fish isn't a verb," Frost replied matter-of-factly, "It refers to aquatic creatures that live in fish tanks."

"Yeah, but how do you think they get in the fish tanks?" Oliver asked sarcastically, but then realized that Frost was wearing a blank look on her face, "Wait, you really don't know anything about fishing?"

Frost Byte shook her head no.

"Oh, wow! Well then I should teach you," Oliver declared, "You know, fishing on a regular basis can help you with your Laff boost. Come on, get on the dock and I'll show you what to do. You can use my fishing rod."

Frost was nervous, fearing he might want to push her in the water. Frost had often heard Toons were untrustworthy tricksters, especially ducks. Then again, Oliver seemed nice enough. Frost gingerly stepped onto the plank and wobbled a little to steady her legs. Oliver the handed her the fishing pole and pointed to the water.

"Now, you just cast your line and wait a little bit," Oliver instructed her, "Once you catch a fish we put it into this bucket, and once the bucket is full or near full we sell the fish to the pet shop where it can find a good home."

"Interesting," Frost Byte muttered as she looked out at the water, "Is it permitted to keep the fish? I would like to find one for a former colleague who recently lost his hot air balloon fish."

"Sure, why not?" Oliver replied agreeably, "Just cast your line and see what you catch."

Frost Byte did as instructed and attempted to cast the line, but her throw was so weak it barely went beyond the plank. She could see Oliver's jellybean lure floating in front of her, and then realized that this moron used _money_ as fish bait.

"Why is there a jellybean on your string?" Frost asked as neutrally as she could manage.

"Because the fish like to eat them," Oliver explained, "Of course the fish are worth more jellybeans than they eat, so it all works out."

"No offense, but that's insane," Frost replied critically, "You're giving them currency to eat."

"Doodles eat jellybeans too," Oliver told her, "Jellybeans are delicious, and animals of all kinds love them."

"Shouldn't you make currency that _isn't_ delicious?" Frost Byte asked.

Before Oliver could answer however Frost felt a tug at the rod and started pulling. She had a fish, and she couldn't wait to see what she had snagged. Oliver grabbed her shoulders and helped her pull, and together they pulled out a long pink snake looking thing!

"It's an amore eel!" Oliver proclaimed as he swiftly shoved it into the bucket so it would be able to breathe, "You did great, Frosty!"

"Don't call me Frosty," Frost Byte replied sourly, "So, what is this thing worth?"

"About 4 jellybeans," Oliver shrugged.

"Well, it's a start, I suppose," Frost conceded.

"Wanna try again?" Oliver McQuack asked with a tempter's smile.

Frost Byte managed a ghost of a smile as she held up the fishing pole; ready to fish some more. Together they caught 15 fish of all different shapes and sizes. There were clown fish, balloon fish, starfish, and more. At one point Frost heard somebody laughing, and realized it was actually her. She had so much fun fishing with Oliver, but she had to cut their time short in order to open the store.

Oliver waved goodbye to the deer as she walked away with his fishing pole. He had another one at home, so he allowed her to have his. She was an odd Toon to be sure, but Oliver didn't feel as suspicious as before. Part of him knew he should be wary, but there was something strangely charming about her naivety. It was as if she was experiencing everything in life for the first time, and much to his surprise Oliver found he liked spending time with her.


	4. Support

_Author's Notes: I've been trying to update some of my more obscure fics lately, and I came across this hidden gem I have neglected for too long. I still like this story, but I guess I have to be in a certain mood to write for Toontown. This chapter is one I've had planned for a while, as is the next chapter I will be working on. For those precious few of you that bother to read this story this far, I thank you :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

Support

The next few days in Toon Central went by without incident. Frost Byte made candy in the morning, sold candy in the afternoon, counted her profits in the evening, and slept at night. Just like when she lived among the Cogs, Frost Byte kept a never-changing routine.

One thing that made Frost secretly want to shake things up however was seeing the happy colorful Toons through her shop's windows. They ran, laughed, fished, raced, talked, and lived lives that seemed so much more...detailed. Frost Byte was used to focusing only on money and the advancement of her career so she could get more money. It always seemed like the correct way to function, but now that she could see what fun and joy looked like...she wanted in.

Despite Frost's longing however, she still had trouble thinking of other Toons as anything other than potential customers. She was used to using others and being used herself. Cog life was all about utility rather than community, and Frost Byte didn't know how to turn that part of herself off. She was the business owner, they were the customers, and that was all there was to it.

The only exception to that rule appeared to be Patsy and Oliver McQuack. They came by her candy shop every day to buy treats and shoot the breeze. Sometimes they even left without buying anything, yet for some reason Frost found that this didn't annoy her like it should. She knew she should want their jellybeans and not care about them, yet there was something about them that filled a need within her Toony soul. They were kind of like replacements for FTR-416, RJ-5252, and DD-2831. Just someone to talk to.

As Frost wiped down the counter with her microfiber rag she heard the tinkling of the door's jingly bells and looked up to see Patsy and Oliver arriving; late as usual. One thing Frost had learned was that Toons had a very poor grasp on the concept of time keeping. Perhaps if they understood it better they would fare better against the Cogs.

"Hi, Frosty!" Patsy greeted her with a warm smile.

That was one thing that _did_ annoy Frost Byte about Toontown. For some reason every time someone learned her name they wanted to call her Frosty. That was not her name and it was very irritating that her acquaintances insisted on calling her that. She didn't bother to correct anyone anymore, since that would mean being rude to a potential customer, which was a Sellbot no-no.

"Good morning, Patsy," Frost greeted Patsy with a formal nod in the pink rabbit's direction, "Good morning Oliver McQuack. How have you been?"

"Great!" Patsy squealed in delight as she jumped up in the air.

That Patsy was a boundless bundle of energy, and every word she said sounded like it was bouncing out of her heart and into the world. It could be either annoying or endearing depending on Frost's mood. Today it was slightly annoying.

"We've got a new scoop on Loopy Lane!" Patsy explained, "We're going to interview Postman Pete. No relation to Mickey's rival, Pete. He just broke a record for most packages delivered in a single week, and we're going to get an exclusive interview and take his picture for the paper!"

"I see. That sounds delightful," Frost replied placidly.

"Would you like to come with us?" Patsy asked, "I bet there's lots of funny things to help you get your Laff boost on Loopy Lane."

"Well...I'm supposed to open the shop in a couple hours," Frost replied hesitantly.

"You've been here everyday since you opened," Oliver McQuack pointed out, "No one would be upset at you if you took a few hours for yourself. Most shops don't stay open nearly as long as yours, except the Gag Shop. Of course that one has multiple Toons working there so everyone can take a break whenever they want."

"Well..." Frost was raised to never _ever_ abandon your work post, but at the same time she really did want to go outside and bask in the sun for a while, so... "Alright. Just this once. It would be interesting to talk with the postman about his strategy for package delivery. I suppose a couple hours couldn't hurt."

Frost Byte then took a sign out of her briefcase she had yet to use since moving to Toontown. It read OUT TO LUNCH. She hung it in her door window and locked the door behind her, and then she followed her friends to the tunnel that led to Loopy Lane.

* * *

Walking the street was a surreal experience for Frost Byte. She had walked the streets of both Daisy Gardens and Toon Central to get to her new business, but she had a destination then and took no time to enjoy the scenery. This time she really took her time to enjoy the movements of the trees and mail boxes, the song that seemed to play in the background, and the different sights and smells that came from the shops. The cafe smelled just like donuts.

"It certainly is a nice day," Frost commented idly.

"It's always a nice day," Patsy shrugged goodnaturedly.

"Yeah, except in Dreamland," Oliver remarked, "I don't think the sun even remembers Donald's Dreamland is there. For some reason it's always night. The Toons there treat sleeping like a way of life."

"Hee hee, that is true," Patsy replied, "It's a cool place to visit though, and I hear that Dreamland is home to the best Doodle breeders in the whole world!"

"Doodle?" Frost asked; not understanding the word.

Patsy was about to say something to Frost, but suddenly they heard heavy footsteps behind them, and the trio of Toons turned to see a Bottom Feeder approaching them!

"Oh no, it's a Cog!" Patsy exclaimed in panic.

"Don't worry, Patsy," Oliver assured her, "We might be low level Toons, but there's three of us and only one of him."

"What do you mean by that?" Frost asked worriedly, realizing she was being included in that number.

"Well, well, well," The Bottom Feeder taunted the Toons when he got close enough, "Looks like you just hit rock bottom."

Frost adjusted her glasses to read his ID. He was a level 3 Lawbot named CST-30. He was assigned to Toon Central, which meant he was either here to attack Toons or here to claim a building for the Cogs. It was probably the former, though even low level Cogs could take over buildings as long as their supervisor approved the acquisition first.

"We need to coordinate an attack," Oliver whispered to the others, "I have a cup of water I can spit at him."

"Ew," Frost whispered back in distaste.

"I only have a cupcake," Patsy said ruefully, "I forgot to restock my gags. Sorry guys."

"That's fine," Oliver replied, "Okay, so we have a spit take and a cupcake. Frosty, what do you have?"

"Pardon me?" Frost asked in confusion.

"What's your best gag?" Oliver hissed impatiently as the Bottom Feeder stepped closer to them.

"Um...I have a..." Frost quickly rifled through her pockets until she found a, "...label maker."

"What's a label maker?" Patsy asked; puzzled.

Frost didn't have time to answer them however since the Bottom Feeder reached his hand into Oliver's shorts pocket and took out some of his jellybeans.

"Finders keepers," The Bottom Feeder mocked in a robotic monotone voice as he waved his prize in front of their faces.

"Hey! That's mine!" Oliver complained before whipping out his cup of water, "Girls, let's do this!"

Patsy attacked first by throwing the cupcake, which landed in the Bottom Feeder's open mouth. He gulped down the cupcake and licked his chops. He looked at them as if to say 'bring it on', and Oliver filled his bill with water to soak the bloated Cog. The water hit the Cog square in the chest, which caused his health meter to drop from green to orange. Not enough to break the Cog, but it was better than nothing. The Cog then used a rubber stamp on Frost Byte, who at this point hadn't even attacked him yet.

"Ugh! My shirt!" Frost exclaimed; livid, "Do you know what it _costs_ to dry clean red ink out of a white shirt?!"

"Don't talk to it, attack it!" Oliver urged Frost Byte.

"But all I have is a- Oh, never mind!" Frost Byte threw up her arms in defeat at the world gone mad before her.

Frost Byte then aimed her label maker at the Bottom Feeder, not even bothering to change the last preset she had set in the thing, as she aimed and fired a few labels at the portly Cog.

The Cog looked down at his chest and removed one of the black and white business labels. He read the label, which read RETURN TO SENDER, and started laughing. He laughed so hard that he broke apart and exploded into a million pieces!

Patsy, Oliver, and Frost just stood there in silence staring at the pile of Cog parts for a moment, but then finally Patsy broke the tension when she asked "What kind of _eepity_ gag is _that_?"

"Um, it's my label maker," Frost replied in bemusement, "It's not a gag. I use it to make labels."

"Whatever it is, it sure got the job done," Oliver remarked in awe, "A gag that actually makes Cogs _laugh_ , and it's so easy a Toon with practically no Laff can use it. Amazing..."

"It's not that big a deal. It's just a label maker," Frost Byte reiterated, "Now, are we going to the post office or not?"

"Um, yeah...sure," Oliver replied, still a little dazed by what he had just witnessed.

The three Toons set off again, but Oliver McQuack was still thinking about Frost's new Cog destroying device. He had been suspicious of her loyalties before, but now he felt like he understood what was really going on. Frost had low Laff, so she needed to find a way to survive Cogs while not directly engaging them in battle. She wasn't a spy, Oliver thought; she was a genius gag inventor.

* * *

The next day Frost Byte was saying goodbye to yet another customer in her shop. When the shop was empty Frost would indulge herself by looking out the window and watching the Toons fish. Frost enjoyed fishing, but she never found time to enjoy the activity herself, so she would watch the other Toons cast their reels in the water and imagine she was among them.

Looking from her window at the entrance for Silly Street, Frost saw a familiar pink rabbit hopping over to her shop. She felt like she wanted to see Patsy on this day, so she smiled and adjusted her glasses to look as presentable as possible. By the time the bells on the door jingled to announce Patsy's presence, Frost had already filled a bag with Patsy's favorite candies.

"Hi, Frosty!" Patsy waved as she bounded over, "I just talked to Dr. Foolery today, and he was asking about your Laff. Have you checked to see if your core number has gone up?"

"Oh, well let me see," Frost replied as she fumbled in her pocket for the Laff meter.

Patsy grabbed the bag and started eating the sweets while Frost Byte checked her Laff for any signs of improvement. Patsy was hopeful for her new friend's improvement, but that hope fell when she saw the disappointed look in Frost's eyes as she carefully placed the meter back in her pocket.

"Bad news?" Patsy asked hesitantly.

"My Laff is still at 5," Frost Byte informed her, "One would think the satisfaction of running a business and watching other people have fun would be enough to get me in the Toony spirit. Oh well, I guess I'm just dull. By the way, your total is 7 jellybeans. Would you like to participate in my new frequent buyer rewards program?"

"Frosty, this is no time for business!" Patsy exclaimed in concern, "You're working yourself into an early depression! I didn't want to say this, but if none of the normal methods of boosting your Laff are working, then you may need to join...a support group."

"Pardon?" Frost Byte asked; unfamiliar with the term.

"It's not something we talk about, but as a reporter I'm in the know," Patsy whispered, "There are other Toons with chronically low Laff. It's hard to talk about them since they say high-Laff Toons don't want to discuss sad things. I know I don't. The founder of the group fought the Cogs and was so traumatized by the experience that her Laff never recovered. It's not just group therapy though, they have other nifty things like service Doodles, free snacks, and tips on how to avoid Cogs when walking the streets alone. I did a report on them once, but my editor cut the story for being too sad."

"What's sad about fixing a problem?" Frost asked obliviously.

"Well that's the thing," Patsy winced, "Most of these low Laffers will never be fixed. They're just like you, Toons who either forgot or never learned how to enjoy the funny things in life. Sometimes they're drawn that way, and sometimes the Cogs do it to them. Either way, the support group is a way for generally unfriendly Toons to be able to make friends. What do you say? Do you wanna give it a try?"

"I want to go back to work, but I have a feeling you won't let this go," Frost replied dryly.

"Great! We can go there now! The group is called Seeds of Change, and it's near Daisy Gardens. Come on!"

With those words Patsy grabbed Frost's hand, and the aqua colored deer was barely able to grab her OUT TO LUNCH sign in time to place it on her door. Frost Byte wasn't sure what she had agreed to, but she had to admit at this point she was actually kind of curious. Besides, at least Daisy Gardens was almost like going home again, since Sellbot HQ was so close.

* * *

Patsy and Frost Byte entered the building where Seeds of Change was located, and immediately Frost noticed the smell of lavender candles in the air. As luck would have it, the group was already in session and there were Toons sitting on metal chairs in a circle facing each other. A small squat purple pig in a flowery dress was arguing with a tall turquoise rabbit while the other Toons observed.

"That was a total cheap shot and you know it!" The rabbit screamed at the top of his lungs, "Admit it!"

"I admit nothing! You just don't know how to play the _oink_ game!" The pig cursed at the rabbit.

"Oh my, maybe we should come back later," Frost suggested, "They seem awfully loud."

"I know, but it's part of their therapy," Patsy told her, "Come on, let's go talk to the group leader."

The two females approached the circle of Toons, and Frost felt something walk across her shoe. She looked down to see a blue jellybean-shaped creature with long rabbit ears and a cotton tail looking up at her, it's long tongue panting and its entire body wiggling with pent up energy.

"What is that?" Frost whispered to Patsy.

"Huh? Oh, that's a Doodle. You've never seen one?" Patsy asked in a pitying tone.

"No. Why is it staring at me? What does it want?" Frost asked nervously.

"It's a Doodle, Frosty. All they want is love," Patsy replied affectionately as she looked down at the happy Doodle, "Man, I wish I could afford one of my own. Doodles are so cute!"

"Doodles are expensive?" Frost asked curiously, "Hm, so Toons do have status symbols. Interesting..."

Finally, a sienna colored deer in a lavender colored frock noticed the two newcomers and stood up to greet them.

"You're that reporter from Toon Central, aren't you?" The deer woman asked with neither warmth nor malice, "Is this a follow-up to the piece you never published?"

"I'm so sorry about that," Patsy apologized sincerely, "My editor wouldn't let me, but I still think what you're doing here is great. Which reminds me, I brought someone here who might benefit from this program. Everyone, this is Frost Byte and she's got a low Laff that no one can explain. I was wondering if she could join your discussion."

"I see no reason why not," The sienna deer replied agreeably, "Everyone, let's introduce ourselves to Frost Byte so that we can all learn a little more about each other."

"Hi, I'm Olivia D'Best," The purple pig introduced herself first, "And this dumb bunny over here is my boyfriend Twisty Turner."

"I'm not your boyfriend," Twisty argued, "She's just trying to embarrass me."

"Is it working?" Olivia asked impishly.

" _Hah hah_ , very funny!" Twisty Turner groused, "Actually Olivia and I are in training together. We're Ubers, some of the most dedicated Cog crushers in all of Toontown. Of course we all know what being an Uber means: low Laff."

"Yeah, mine's at 24 and Twisty's is at 23," Olivia added, "We do pretty good fighting Cogs, but when we're not fighting Cogs it's like nothing brings us joy."

"Yeah, not to mention all the treats and stuff it takes to keep us going," Twisty continued, "I can down two dozen ice cream cones a day. Sometimes I go to Donald's Dreamland just because the Zs are the most powerful way to restore Laff energy, but then that means I have to fight stronger Cogs, which means I need stronger energy. It's a vicious cycle!"

"Um, okay you two, maybe let someone else talk now?" The deer hostess requested.

" _Fine_ ," Olivia conceded, and then nudged a white horse next to her and handed her a slip of paper.

The horse got up and waved to Frost and Patsy.

"That's Lulu," The hostess told them, "She doesn't have any color because she's from the silent Toon era. She used to work as Clarabelle Cow's makeup artist. Poor Lulu wasn't drawn with as much Laff as the younger Toons because back then they didn't need it. She has no color, low Laff, no voice, and no hearing. Talkies pretty much killed her career, but she still does good work training service Doodles to help restore the Laff of Toons that need some extra help with fighting Cogs."

The blue Doodle Frost saw earlier then ran up to Lulu, and Lulu patted it's head and lifted her finger so that it would dance for the group. After the Doodle's cute dance she fed it a purple jellybean.

"That's Knock Knock, Lulu's Doodle," The hostess explained, "He's her ears. If there's a Cog close by or someone at the door, Knock Knock can let Lulu know."

Lulu then scooped the Doodle up in her arms and sat back down, allowing others to have their turn introducing themselves.

"I am Sir Puff Puff!" A lavender crocodile introduced himself magnanimously, "And I am in a bit of a jam. Due to a run-in with a Loan Shark, I am no longer able to find joy in my work as an observational comedian. Now when I say things, it sounds as if I am being OVERLY DRAMATIC! I tell you, dramatic acting is the worst!"

"I see," Frost Byte replied noncommittally.

"I'm Jordan," A blue-green dog introduced himself in clipped tones, "I used to be a stickler for the rules, but I kept getting paired with noobs that didn't know what they were doing. Now I can only refill my Laff by trolling other Toons. Sometimes it feels like fighting the Cogs put a curse on me, and no one wants to go on missions with me anymore."

Frost Byte just stared skeptically at the dog, wondering what the _barp_ he was talking about.

"And finally, I am Deerborne," The counselor introduced herself, "I founded this group when I couldn't find the support I needed after my first battle with the Cogs. There are many Toons like us, Toons who need help but feel too embarrassed by their lackluster Laff. Why don't you tell us all about yourself, Frost Byte?"

"Go on," Patsy whispered encouragingly, "This is a safe place."

"Well...there's really not that much to tell," Frost Byte replied hesitantly, "I don't have a tragic backstory or a special skill set. I'm just a boring old shopkeeper who has low Laff. I like money, efficiency, and clean clothes. I'm sorry to say that my main problem is that I am simply boring."

"Boring, or unmotivated?" Deerborne asked sagely, "Lulu felt the same way when she first came to us, that her lack of energy made her boring. We all know better though. We know that sometimes it's just hard to be happy in a world with so many problems. Frost Byte, if you could make the world a happier place with the wave of a magic wand, what is the one thing you would change for the better?"

"Um...I would give all of my former colleagues a raise and three extra days of vacation time. Oh wait, is that too much?" Frost Byte asked nervously.

"It sounds to me like your friends mean a great deal to you," Deerborne replied warmly.

"They're not my friends, they're my colleagues," Frost Byte corrected, "Of course it's only natural to form an emotional attachment with someone you spend your entire life around. Even though we don't work together anymore, I still want good things for them. I want RJ to have as many balloon fish as he wants for his tank. I want DD to get that promotion she wants. I want FTR to be allowed more coffee breaks. Does that make me a hypocrite, since I so rarely take time off for myself?"

"It sounds to me like your relationships are your primary source of joy," Deerborne observed, "That's a good thing, Frost Byte. It means you understand how to keep your Laff strong despite its small number. Does anyone have anything to add about friendship?"

"Yeah, Twisty's a terrible friend!" Olivia D'Best interjected.

" _What_? Since when?" Twisty Turner asked in offense.

"Since you got out of the elevator at the last second and left me alone in that Lawbot building!" Olivia snapped accusingly.

"It was a one story building! I wasn't going to share XP for so small a victory!" Twisty yelled defensively.

"I love doing that to random Toons," Jordan interjected with a malicious grin.

Olivia and Twisty then started trading insults and barbs with each other. Deerborne checked their Laff levels with her meter and noted that they were slowly going down. Patsy actually ran out of the building and left Frost Byte alone with the group since she couldn't handle all the negative feelings surrounding these unhappy Toons. Frost Byte just stood there and stared in confusion as Deerborne managed to get the Uber duo to stop arguing.

"Alright, you two need to rebuild your Laff," Deerborne instructed them, "There are snacks on the table in the back, and I insist you eat something before you leave. The Cogs are all over the streets here in Daisy Gardens, and I don't want either of you to risk being saddened on your way home. Understand?"

"Yes, Ms. Deerborne," Twisty replied sullenly, with Oliva nodded her agreement.

"Good. Now, Frost Byte, since you're new here why don't we try to get to the bottom of your low Laff," Deerborne suggested as she gestured for Frost Byte to take a seat, "Now, when did you first notice your Laff wasn't getting any higher?"

"I only found out I had a Laff last week," Frost replied matter-of-factly.

"You didn't know you had a _laugh_?" Sir Puff Puff gasped dramatically, "How does one not _know_ the basic fundamentals of being a Toon? That's like not knowing what a heart is, what a mind is, or what a banana cream pie is!"

"I know pies are supposed to be food, but for some reason everyone around here thinks they're grenades," Frost Byte groused as she crossed her arms, "Also, I don't see the big deal regarding my Laff meter. My Laff has never interfered with what I want to do in life. I've never been injured by my sadness, and I've never been depressed. Frankly I'm missing work right now, and I only came here as a favor to Patsy. You all seem very nice, and I would gladly sell you candy if you should ever find yourselves in Toon Central, but I don't see why I need to be here right now."

"Does your work bring you joy?" Deerborne asked curiously.

"My work brings me money," Frost Byte replied flippantly, "And as my boss used to say: time is money. So, thank you for listening, and I bid you good day."

"Time is money?" Olivia suddenly spoke up, "I thought time was time. You know, that thing that makes the sun come and go sometimes. How do you get money out of such an abstract concept?"

"Oh, brother..." Frost Byte grumbled under her breath, "Time isn't literally money, it means wasting time is wasting money! When my shop is closed I'm being unproductive!"

"Unproductive? Dude, you're not a Cog," Twisty scoffed, "Look, I get it. The Cogs being here can stress us all out. You do good work providing candy to keep our Toons happy and ready to fight, but you need to take some time for yourself. You don't want to become like those Laff-less machines, do you?"

Frost Byte didn't know how to respond to that. Truth be told, she _did_ want to be more like her Sellbot colleagues. Yet there was still part of her that wanted to be more Toony. At least then she would fit in with someone. Her boss did his best to make her a great employee, but even she could tell the Toons had more in their lives than their jobs. She wanted to feel that completeness that Toons seemed to have, but she wasn't sure if she could.

"Frost Byte, I know it's hard to slow down and recharge," Deerborne said sympathetically, "I feel the same way sometimes. I wish I could do nothing but give every part of myself for the sake of my fellow Toons, but sometimes we all need to take a break and just breathe. Do you want to know why my Laff stays at 10?"

"10 sounds fairly decent to be honest," Frost Byte commented, "But...yes. I want to know what started this program."

"I was around when the Cogs first conquered Toontown," Deerborne recalled, "I was among the first Toons to ever form a resistance to their hostile takeover. I barely managed to survive without growing depressed, but I paid a heavy price for going into battle unprepared. My baby, my newly drawn little girl...was erased by the Cogs. I've never been able to battle a Cog ever since, and I've never been truly happy since that day. My pain was something no one wanted to address. No one talks about dead Toons. It's depressing, and depression can be deadly. I needed someone to tell me that I could learn to live again, and in turn I needed to tell others the same thing. You don't have to stay here, Frost Byte. I wish you would though. In this happy-go-lucky world, us downhearted Toons need each other."

"You managed to avoid fighting for so long?" Frost Byte asked, "Well then, perhaps I can learn a few things from you and your colleague-, uh, _friends_. Perhaps we can build each other up."

The group smiled and clapped for her, and Frost Byte found herself smiling as she shrunk down bashfully in her seat. Sir Puff Puff was the next one to tell his story, and Frost Byte listened intently, both to him and to the others that spoke after him. It seemed that the workaholic deer had finally found some Toons that were more like her. Now if only they understood how to properly tell time and make decent flow charts...


	5. Wholesale

_Author's Notes: Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated anything for the past few weeks. I've been sick and haven't been up to writing very much, but I'm doing better now and ready to get back in the game. This chapter was supposed to be more action packed, but when I sat down to write what came out was a scenic slice of life chapter. It's important to the plot, but not very suspenseful. Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 5

Wholesale

It had been about a week since Frost Byte had been to Seeds of Change for the initial group therapy session. She didn't know the exact amount of time because Toons had no ways of time keeping besides when the sun was up. Oddly enough Toontown had clocks, but the hands on those clocks just looped around constantly with no rhyme or reason; as if every clock in Toontown was broken.

As Frost Byte checked on an oven containing lemony squares she couldn't help but reflect on the Low Laff group. She was surprised to find she actually looked forward to seeing them again. It was amusing the way they fought, shouted, cried, and even hugged it out when things got rough. It was more chaotic than Sellbot HQ, but at least it was an attempt at order.

In an effort to relax, Frost Byte had purchased a newspaper from Patsy and hoped that the comic strips would give her a laugh. She loved reading Dilbot comics back at her old cubicle. Maybe Toonier comics would give her Toonier feelings.

She flipped through the paper and found the funnies section. The first comic was about a Toon that outsmarted Cog hunters and other Toons. Frost tried to understand what was funny about it, but to her it just seemed rather mean-spirited. The witty Toon would destroy every Cog it encountered with a well-timed gag. That was the entire punchline. Frost didn't get it.

The next comic was about an orange Doodle that hated Mondays. Well now that made no sense at all. Monday was the start of a Cog's work day, therefore it was the best day of the week. The third comic was about a Doodle that was so large it was as big as a Toon, and the joke was always the awkward situations the giant Doodle would get into. That was...almost amusing.

"This is hopeless," Frost Byte sighed to herself, "I'm just not Toony enough to understand."

Outside there was suddenly the familiar sound of a curtain flap, and the sun went away to be replaced by the starry night sky. Frost smiled a little and turned her _open_ sign to _closed_. The day was done, and Frost was supposed to go to sleep. She decided before she did however she needed to place an order.

She checked Clarabelle's Cattlelog to try to find what she was looking for, but wasn't entirely surprised when she didn't find it. Relying solely on the sun and the moon to figure out what time it was had begun to fray Frost's nerves, and she needed a solution _now_.

Frost picked up her phone and turned the crank before putting in the correct number.

"Sellbot Headquarters," A robotic voice answered on the other end, "Can I interest you in our new comprehensive software program?"

"No, thank you," Frost Byte replied, "I would like to order a clock, preferably one that keeps perfect time and has batteries included. I will accept one that plugs into the wall if necessary."

"Would you like a clock that plays Karma Chameleon on the hour?" The Cog sales rep asked.

"Heavens no!" Frost replied emphatically, "Just a standard work clock. Grey or silver if you have it."

"Excellent choice," The sales rep replied, "Where should we send it?"

"I would like it air dropped in Toon Central's playground area," Frost requested.

"Unacceptable. No Cog flies around that area," The sales rep replied sternly, "Toons are too strong in the playground areas. They cannot be saddened or defeated, therefore all Cogs must avoid the playground areas."

"Well then how am I supposed to get my clock?" Frost Byte asked in irritation, "I live in the playground!"

"We do not sell to Toons that live in the playground," The sales rep reiterated, "And frankly it is difficult to sell to Toons at all. For some reason your people do not respond well to our cold calls."

"I know. We Toons tend to be more...disorganized than Cogs. That is my problem. I am tired of not knowing what time it is! How do I get a clock if my mailing address is invalid?"

"Not my problem."

With those words the Cog hung up on Frost Byte, and the frustrated deer slammed the phone on its receiver and growled loudly while clenching her gloved fists.

"This isn't fair!" Frost Byte shouted furiously, "I can't do this! I can't do it anymore! Why can't I be happy? Why am I so bad at relating to other Toons? _What time is it_!?"

Frost then collapsed on the floor and just allowed herself to breathe in and out. The floor was hard and uncomfortable, but not nearly hard enough...not nearly cold enough. It was wood. Wood was warm and organic. Frost preferred metallic tiles. They were cold, they were hard, and they were uniformly perfect.

* * *

The next morning the Toons around the playground gathered around Neat Sweet Treats to note that the sign read that it was closed. This was okay for most Toons, who knew that work hours were optional and shops frequently closed whenever the owner felt like it. When Patsy and Oliver showed up however, they were concerned by what they saw.

"This ain't right," Oliver said ominously as he looked at the closed shop, "Frosty's shop is always open. She never leaves her shop during the day, or at night for that matter. Where did she go?"

"Maybe she decided to go play," Patsy suggested, "That's what she should do, anyway. Her Laff hasn't improved at all lately. Maybe the support group helped her to find out ways to make her feel funny and warm again."

"I don't know," Oliver replied skeptically, "Frosty may be smart when it comes to off-the-wall gags, but not when it comes to having fun. I'm worried. What if she went out on the streets by herself? If she got caught by a Cog, she wouldn't just go sad; she'd get depressed!"

"Don't talk like that!" Patsy sniffed, "It hurts my Laff."

"I'm sorry, Patsy," Oliver apologized, "I'm just worried is all. Frosty's our friend, not to mention the best candy maker in town. I'd hate for anything to happen to her."

The duo didn't know what else to do, so they wandered over to the trolley to play minigames. They just hoped that Frost Byte would be back by the end of the day safe and sound.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Seeds of Change, Deerborne was setting up the chairs in a circle for when the other Toons showed up for their therapy session. She didn't expect many today, since Jordan was going to buy laughing gas that day and Sir Puff Puff rarely came more than once a week. Still, even if only a few showed up Deerborne always kept her doors open.

The door's jingle bells rang, indicating that someone had walked inside, and Deerborne turned around to see who it was. Much to her pleasant surprise, it was the new patient; Frost Byte.

"Hello. How are you feeling today?" Deerborne asked with a gentle smile.

"Not good," Frost Byte admitted, "I've been awake all night. Deerborne, I don't know what time it is."

"What do you mean? It's daytime," Deerborne replied in slight confusion.

"No, what I mean is...well, you see..." Frost Byte struggled to form her thoughts into words, and Deerborne waited patiently. Finally, Frost Byte said, "...I don't know how to merely exist. I need a task. That task needs a deadline. I don't feel like my shop is contributing enough to my bottom line, not to mention the lives of other Toons. I don't feel like I'm part of a community anymore."

"So what you are saying is that you are lonely," Deerborne surmised.

"Lonely?" Frost Byte repeated in surprise, "That's what you got from all that?"

"It's okay," Deerborne assured her, "We all exhibit odd behavior when we have trouble coping with the outside world. I've actually been thinking about your case for a while. Your Laff is one of the lowest I've ever seen, and I've noticed you don't seem to carry any Toon-Up gags to heal yourself with. Do you know how to Toon-Up?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Frost Byte replied honestly.

"Well then, it sounds like you need some extra help," Deerborne replied, "I think you and I should go to the estates in Donald's Dreamland and visit Lulu. She'll have just what you need."

"Donald's Dreamland? That's quite a walk," Frost Byte said uneasily, "And the Cogs assigned there have all been promoted to high positions within the company..."

"Don't worry. If we keep to the sidewalks the Cogs won't even see us," Deerborne said encouragingly, "And I think this will be worth it for you. Lulu breeds service Doodles, and I think you're a perfect candidate to receive one."

"You want me to buy a _Doodle_!?" Frost Byte shrieked, "But they're so expensive!"

"No, service Doodles are provided for free to disabled Toons," Deerborne explained, "They can heal Laff in battle, as well as provide companionship. Trust me, you need this."

Frost Byte sighed heavily, not really having an argument against the idea but also not really in the mood for an adventure. Somehow though Deerborne's placid reassuring smile made Frost Byte believe that everything was going to be okay. It wasn't the wide excited smile of most Toons, but the smile of someone who had managed to cover over old scars. Frost felt like she understood that smile.

* * *

Walking to Lulu's was a nightmare for Frost Byte. Deerborne didn't seem to mind all the different terrains, which just made Frost Byte feel even grumblier about the whole ordeal.

They had to backtrack to the playground at Daisy Gardens, which had a confusing hedge maze covering most of the area. Frost Byte got lost and it took Deerborne quite a while to find her despite all of Frost's nasally screaming. Several Toons offered her flowers, which she adamantly rejected, and then she and her sienna deer guide walked down another Cog-filled street to get to their next destination; Minnie's Melodyland.

If Frost had to describe Minnie's Melodyland as anything it would be noisy. It felt like every other shop sold something noisy, and the music was ear grating to the unprepared deer. There were many Cogs on the streets and many buildings that had been taken over by them, and Frost couldn't help but think about how much louder this place would be without them. Everything about this place was too alive and cheerful. Even the sky was a noxious pink!

They went through the playground, and Frost had to be careful where she stepped. The stairs were made of piano keys, and the dock was made of piano keys too. Everything was noisy, and every Toon seemed okay with it.

"Why doesn't the keyboard dock scare the fish away?" Frost asked with a mixure if frustration and curiosity.

"These fish like the music, especialy the star fish," Deerborne explained.

They left that playground and went down another street. From there came the hardest part of their already ill-conceived journey; The Brrrgh.

The Brrrgh was probably the worst place Frost Byte had ever been to. Despite her name Frost didn't actually like the cold, and this place was freezing! Everything was covered in snow and ice, and even the Cogs seemed to move slower. Frost's short sleeved shirt and neatly pressed skirt didn't help against such harsh winter conditions. Deerborne didn't complain about it, but Frost could tell she was cold too.

"H-h-how m-m-much further?" Frost shivered as they trudged down the sidewalk.

"It'll b-be a while," Deerborne answered her.

That was not what Frost wanted to hear. It didn't help that they had to hide behind snow capped pine trees every time a Cog came into view. Frost could read the serial number and power level of every Cog she looked at thanks to her glasses, and these guys were impressive. There also seemed to be a large number of Bossbots in the area.

Once they got past the dangerous streets of the snow covered land, the duo found themselves in the snowy playground of The Brrrgh, and Frost growled in frustration. More ice! More stupid stinking ice!

"Welcome to The Brrrgh," Deerborne said almost cheerfully despite her tiredness, "This place is home to the world's smallest fishing hole, which means the world's most competitive Fish Bingo players."

"I d-d-don't care," Frost shivered as she glared at Deerborne, "H-h-how much further?"

"We need to go...that way," Deerborne declared as she pointed out a street.

So once again they trudged through the slushy streets. Frost Byte wondered how such unforgiving cold could exist so close to a perpetual springtime like Daisy Gardens, but she decided not to question it.

Once they made it to a street in Donald's Dreamland things warmed up slightly, but there was still a cool breeze blowing and everything was shrouded in darkness. It almost sounded like there was a lullaby in the air, and even the mailboxes and fire hydrants wore sleeping caps. This was a strange place; both inviting and foreboding.

"Is this where Lulu lives?" Frost asked.

"Not exactly," Deerborne replied, "She lives in an estate on the outskirts of town. We'll need to take some of these back alley streets to get to her home."

Even though their voices were soft, it still felt like talking was intruding on the serenity of this place. Frost just wanted to listen to the soft lullaby and walk slowly down the dark peaceful sidewalk. In the distance they could hear metallic footsteps, so Deerborne ushered Frost behind a mailbox where they could hide until the Cog was gone. It was a Number Cruncher walking down the street, eating a seven bar and paying attention to nothing but what was ahead of it.

"Such a lack of panache," Frost whispered to Deerborne, "No wonder Number Crunchers work with the Cashbots. She wouldn't last a day as a Sellbot."

Deerborne didn't comment, but she got this faraway look in her eyes. Frost Byte feared she accidentally crossed a line, but she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because Toons didn't care about the Cog hierarchy, or maybe Deerborne just didn't like talking during hiding time.

When the Cog left, the pair found an alley and started walking down it. It would eventually lead to a side street and then a dirt path to get to the estates.

As they walked down the barren dirt road and looked at the tiny houses in the distance, Frost wondered at what point the silence had gone from peaceful to uncomfortable. Finally, she broke that silence.

"Deerborne? Did I say something wrong when we were hiding from the Number Cruncher?"

"You mentioned Sellbots," Deerborne replied morosely, "Sellbots were the ones that erased my daughter."

"Oh. I didn't realize," Frost replied apologetically, "I've never heard of a Toon being erased before I met you."

"It's rare, but it happens," Deerborne clarified, "Infants are especially vulnerable since they don't even have their Laff meters fully charged yet. It was a Mingler. The Mingler saddened myself and my team. I had brought my baby with me because I had no place else to put her. I didn't know anyone that came with me to the HQ during the time of the estate refugees. I had already lost my home, my garden, and any hope that we could survive the invasion of the Cogs. I didn't know how long the siege would last, or how strong Toons would become. I only knew I had to try to save the world for my baby, but...my baby never got to see the world. She was so beautiful. So sweet. She was an aqua colored deer, just like you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I think about what she would have seen and heard and felt if she was still alive," Deerborne replied wistfully, "I think about teaching her how to use her gags, pushing her on the swings, running and playing in the playground...that will never happen now. I can't be happy anymore. My Laff will never recover, because I lost my reason to live. I had to make a new reason, so that's why I opened Seeds of Change. At least then I can help other people who are also looking for a reason to keep going. I fear I'm going to go sad if I keep talking like this."

"How long ago was this mission you went on?" Frost inquired, "The one where you lost your daughter?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Deerborne snapped, and startled Frost, "This topic makes me sad!"

"Of course it does," Frost Byte concurred, "Why do Toons get sick when they're sad?"

"What do you mean?" Deerborne asked.

"I mean I hear a lot of talk about how important a Laff is and how sadness can hurt you, but it doesn't hurt me," Frost told her, "In fact, I don't think I've truly 'gone sad' since I was 5 years old. Do you know how boring my life was before I came to Toon Central? It was wake up, go to work, take a break, go back to work, go to sleep. That might not sound much different than what I do now, but my job was so much duller. It was just getting coffee, talking on the phone, and filing papers."

"That sounds like some sort of sick twisted punishment!" Deerborne replied in shock, "What kind of monster would make a young Toon like you file papers and sit at a desk answering phones? They might as well have tied you to a chair surrounded by Cogs! You poor, poor child!"

"All I'm saying is happiness is what you make of it," Frost said almost defensively, "I was satisfied with my old job. I liked my colleagues, and I liked my boss. I enjoyed my work and looked forward to break time standing around the water cooler making small talk and watching the balloon fish float around in RJ's tank. Why should I fear sadness? Why should you? Just embrace where you are and then you'll be able to feel better."

"Interesting observation," Deerborne pondered, "It sounds to me like you aggravated your stunted Laff by working in a hazardous and depressing environment, and at such a young age too. You're lucky to still be alive after all that. It sounds to me like the Cogs themselves couldn't have devised a more soul crushing scenario."

As they spoke Deerborne turned a corner to walk up a small hill, and Frost followed her. The back yard had a large pen with so many Doodles it was hard to count them all! They ran and played with each other even though it was dark outside, and Frost could see the inside of the house had lights still on. That hopefully meant Lulu was still awake.

Deerborne pushed a button that looked like a doorbell, but instead of a ringing sound the button made the indoor lights flash off and on. Large feet could be heard scrambling in the house, and the familiar white horse opened the door with a welcoming smile on her long face.

Lulu then held up a big wooden sign with a handle that read "Hi!"

Deerborne pulled a similar sign out of hammerspace that also read "Hi!"

"What are you two doing?" Frost asked.

"Lulu speaks sign language," Deerborne explained.

"What brings you by?" Lulu's sign read.

"We need a service Doodle" Deerborne's sign read, and then she held up another sign that read, "Do you have any?"

"Wait here" Lulu's sign read.

Lulu then walked through her house and out the back door. Deerborne and Frost Byte followed her to the pens, and Lulu pulled out a Doodle that panted as its large pink tongue hung out of its mouth. Deerborne took out a flashlight so they could examine the Doodle, and Frost was almost disgusted by what she saw. This thing looked like a living pickle with its forest and light green striped skin and jellybean shaped body. It's eyes were cinnamon colored, and it had little horns on its head. It also had pink turkey feathers on its hiney for a tail, and those tail feathers seemed to sway back and forth as it stood there looking up at Frost Byte.

"Is this Doodle well trained?" Deerborne's sign read.

"Yes" Lulu's sign replied.

"Does he have any special personality features we should know about?" Deerborne's sign with tiny letters read.

"No" Lulu's sign replied.

"Well Frost, looks like it's a perfectly normal Doodle," Deerborne told the younger deer, "Do you like him?"

"Um...well..." Frost had no polite way to say this thing was ugly and creeped her out, so she just said, "Green is my favorite color."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Green was the color of Cogbucks, the Cog form of currency, and Cogbucks were what kept society functioning at peak efficiency. Therefore, Frost loved that color. It didn't look so good on a Doodle though. This thing still looked like a fusion between a pickle and a chicken.

"Take care of him" Read Lulu's sign as the horse shed a goodbye tear for another successfully placed Doodle.

"Oh, I will," Frost replied, but then realized Lulu couldn't hear her, so she smiled and patted the Doodle's head instead.

As they left both deer waved goodbye, and before Lulu's door closed Frost could see Lulu's own blue Doodle run up to her and demand scratches on his chin. They seemed like such a happy cohesive unit. As Frost walked with her Doodle dutifully following her, she knew somehow she was supposed to have that connection too. She didn't though. She never wanted a Doodle, and all she could think about was how much money she could earn from selling it to someone else.

"That Doodle has a lot of focus," Deerborne commented, "Not as much fun as I'd hoped, but his personality will probably fit you well. Lulu has a way of knowing which Doodle is perfect for which Toon. She may be old, but she's still sharp."

"Mhm," Frost replied to pretend she was listening, but all she could think of as she walked home with the Doodle is that these things ate jellybeans. They literally _ate_ profits! Frost Byte just hoped Deerborne never found out that she wanted to get rid of her allegedly _new best friend_.

* * *

Frost awoke after a fitful night's sleep. The Doodle had parked itself in Frost's office chair when they got home, which meant Frost had no place to sleep. She tried sleeping on the floor, but she couldn't do it. So she paced all night and tried to get some work done.

By the time she was ready to open the shop, Frost was exhausted and her Doodle wouldn't stop getting underfoot. She hadn't taken the time to name it, but to be fair she still had no intention of keeping it. Doodles belonged outside where they were free to roam and play, not cooped up in the back room of a candy shop. Even as Frost made herself coffee she could feel the Doodle's giant feet stepping on her own and its head nudging her leg.

The candy shop was bustling with customers that day, and every Toon gushed over Frost's new Doodle. They stayed longer than they normally would, making the line move slower, but Frost also noticed that the customers bought more candy than usual. The lag time was actually increasing profits. This Doodle was turning out to be a benefit to her business, which made the blue deer smile.

A couple hours into the workday Oliver McQuack entered the building for his typical order of fudgy balls and whatever new treat he wanted to try. When he saw Frost at the counter his face broke out into a smile of relief.

"Frosty! Patsy and I saw you closed the shop yesterday. We were worried," Oliver told her.

"I am fine now, thank you," Frost Byte replied without inflection, "I had to go to Donald's Dreamland yesterday to acquire a Doodle."

"You got a _Doodle_?" Oliver asked in astonishment, "Oh, wow! That's great news! Where is the little bundle of laughter?"

"Behind the counter, trying to open my cash register," Frost replied with a wry smile.

Oliver came around and saw the green feathery little monster using its nose to try to get at the jellybeans inside the door of the cash register, just as Frost Byte said.

"Don't let that hungry face fool you," Frost said teasingly, "This Doodle has been fed jellybeans by several of my customers today. They just can't resist, which is good because it means I don't have to feed him my profits."

"It's not a great idea to let him eat whenever he wants," Oliver warned, "Otherwise how are you supposed to train him properly?"

"Train? For what purpose?" Frost asked curiously.

"You know, to teach him tricks," Oliver explained, "That way he can cheer you up when you're fighting with a Cog."

"What sort of tricks?" Frost asked.

"There's a whole list of tricks you can teach him," Oliver informed her, "The manuals can be found in the Cattlelog, but every Doodle instinctively knows how to jump. Doodles don't learn easily, so it's better to only give him a treat when he successfully does a trick. That will train him that doing the trick is a good Toony thing to do."

"Oh, kind of like paying him for doing his job. I understand now," Frost nodded approvingly, "I shall find the proper trick in the Cattlelog, and until then I will feed him when he jumps for me. That being said, I also need to purchase a chair for him to sleep in since I refuse to give up my own chair."

"Why not buy him a bed?" Oliver asked, "Doodles have their own special snuggly beds. You can probably find one at the pet shop just down the way from your candy store."

"Very well," Frost Byte conceded, "But could you watch him while I'm gone? I don't need him getting into my jellybeans. He'd eat all of them if I let him."

"I'd be happy to," Oliver agreed, "So, what's the little guy's name?"

"I have considered it, and I think I want to name him Wholesale."

" _Wholesale_?" Oliver asked in disbelief, "What kind of a weird name is that for a Doodle?"

"It is his name," Frost Byte replied simply.

Frost then left the building, and Oliver McQuack was left alone with the Doodle. Wholesale looked up at Oliver with excitement and anticipation, and Oliver smiled down at the energetic little thing. He had always wanted his own Doodle, but pet sitting for Frost Byte would be the next best thing.


	6. Parents

_Author's Notes: Hi everyone, and welcome back to "Frost Byte". This chapter is shorter than I meant for it to be, but the flow dictated I stop here. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next update out soon. Thank you guys for tuning in, and if you feel like it please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 6

Parents

"Aww, he's so cute!" Patsy gushed when she saw Frost Byte's new Doodle.

"Wholesale is learning how to jump, and I have also bought a manual on how to teach a Doodle to play dead," Frost Byte told her; a hint of pride in her voice.

"Have you figured out his favorite color of jellybean?" Patsy asked.

"The customers feed him. Oliver suggested I withhold food for training purposes, but that seems unnecessary," Frost Byte explained, "Wholesale is quite intelligent and eager to please me. It's like having my own employee. I hope to have lots of employees someday. Preferably sapient ones, but until then Wholesale is my employee of the month, yes he is!"

Patsy giggled, never having seen Frost Byte act this way before. She was used to the Laff-impaired deer being bland or stiff, but when Frost spoke to her Doodle she was attentive and almost spoke in the same babytalk other Toons used around their Doodles. Patsy was grateful that the support group was working out for Frost Byte. She hoped that soon Frost's low Laff would increase, and then maybe they could hang out in other places besides the candy shop.

"Patsy, can I ask you a question?" Frost interrupted Patsy's reverie, "I know as a journalist you are used to being the one to ask the questions, but I have something I need to know."

"Of course, Frosty. You can ask me anything," Patsy replied sincerely.

"You once tried to explain the concept of parents to me, and I had trouble understanding," Frost hesitantly said, "Well, it has recently become more important that I know the relationship between a parent and the Toon they create. I believe I have located my mother."

"Really!? That's amazing!" Patsy cheered, but then backtracked and asked, "Wait, you _located_ her? You mean you lost her? I thought you might've grown up in another family or in an orphanage or something. If you didn't know where your mom was, then what happened?"

"She lost me and assumed I died," Frost explained, "Apparently this saddened her to the point where her Laff never fully recovered. I understand this is very damaging for a Toon, though I must say she lives with her limited abilities quite well."

"I'm surprised you can be so calm about this," Patsy commented, "Oh well, at least you found each other again. Now you can both be happier. I bet she gave you a big Toony hug when she found out!"

"She doesn't know."

"Doesn't know?" Patsy gasped, "You mean you didn't tell her?"

"She did not recognize me, so therefore I assumed the emotional connection was severed," Frost reasoned, "I mean, she is an intelligent and sensitive Toon, but I don't feel anything for her beyond gratitude and curiosity. From what I've heard, the parental/child relationship is supposed to be a strong one. That is why I asked you about the parameters of the relationship. I'm worried that my low Laff might have also affected my ability to form strong connections."

"Well, there's an easy way to test that," Patsy replied with a smile she hoped was reassuring, "Do you love anyone?"

"Love?" Frost asked uncomprehendingly.

"Yes. Is there anyone in your life that you worry about, or think about often, or would rather see happy even at the cost of your own happiness?" Patsy rattled off, "Is there anyone you feel really close to?"

"My former supervisor," Frost replied immediately, "He was like a CEO to me, even though I was an unauthorized transfer to the company. I also value my colleagues RJ and DD. I had many colleagues, but these were the closest to me. I have also recently discovered that I value Wholesale a great deal. I was going to sell him, but he has grown on me so I have decided to keep him in my life and spoil him useless."

"Hee hee hee, the phrase is _spoil him rotten_ ," Patsy corrected.

"Oh. I've never heard it said that way," Frost replied apologetically.

"Your old job must have been very supportive if the people you worked with meant so much to you," Patsy noted, "My boss at News For The Amused is a good Toon, but I wouldn't consider him my closest friend. Oliver McQuack maybe, but not Sparky Boom McRuff."

"Your supervisor has an odd name," Frost replied with a teasing smile.

That made Patsy laugh, and Frost attempted a chuckle or two. Of course Frost Byte's laughter felt more forced than Patsy's, but the point was that they had found something to keep them cheery. Frost almost felt like a Toon in that moment, smiling with her friend and petting her Doodle behind the counter of her successful candy shop. Reality came back to bite her though with Patsy's next question.

"So how did your mom lose you?" Patsy inquired.

"Well..." Frost knew she had brought this on herself by asking about parents, but she still wasn't quite sure how to answer, "...She was one of the early defenders of Toontown from the Cog invasion. The Cogs won, and I was left behind."

"Oh no! It's amazing that you survived long enough to be rescued!" Patsy exclaimed, "Does your adopted family know about you finding your birth mom?"

"No. Is there a reason why I should tell them?" Frost asked curiously.

"Well, if you won't go to your birth mom with this news, then at least you should get your adopted family to support you," Patsy reasoned.

"Support me? So...this is distressing news?" Frost asked, "Will I go sad?"

"I would if I kept a secret like that," Patsy replied somberly, a rare shift in mood for the exuberant pink rabbit, "Frosty, you've just had a life changing experience. I'm happy you were willing to share it with me, but surely there must be someone else who can help you during this time. Maybe your adopted family can help you figure out the right thing to say to your birth mom. Maybe both families can meet each other. Then you'll be even luckier than before, because you'll have two families to love you instead of just one."

"Hm, I see," Frost Byte replied noncommittally, "You've given me a lot to think about."

"Happy to help," Patsy replied with a wide Toony grin.

* * *

Later that night after Frost Byte had put Wholesale in his sleepy-time crate for the night and counted her earnings, she found herself replaying Patsy's words in her mind. She really didn't know how to proceed with Deerborne. She was certain that the sienna colored deer was her creator, yet she didn't know what that meant for her or for her supposed mother. Frost had been worried that keeping everything to herself would make her go sad, so she had taken a Laff reading. It was at 4 out of 5, lower than before but not dangerous. It was still something to watch out for though.

Patsy had suggested to Frost Byte that she should tell her new family about her birth mother, but the problem was Frost Byte had never had a family. For as long as she could remember she had been an intern at Sellbot HQ. She reported directly to FTR-416 and would often apprentice under DD-2831 and RJ-5252. The concept of family was something Frost Byte had never learned about, and therefore had no knowledge regarding how to proceed.

Then again, maybe Frost Byte was worrying for nothing. Maybe Deerborne wasn't her mother. Maybe Frost Byte had been drawn by some long dead Toon and left at Sellbot HQ because they had a last minute epiphany about the folly of the Toony way.

No, that was ridiculous! Why would a Toon purposefully leave their creation to Cogs? There was no profit in that.

Frost Byte realized that speculation wasn't helping her at all. She had to figure this out, and the only way she was going to do that was to answer the question of her parentage once and for all. She picked up the phone and began to dial Sellbot HQ.

"This is the janitorial department," The monotone voice on the other end of the phone blandly greeted her, "How may I be of service today?"

"FTR, it's me."

"Frost Byte. It is good to hear your voice. How are your profit margins?"

"Excellent," Frost replied with a fond smile her former supervisor couldn't see, "Sir, I called because I wanted to know some personal information. About my progenitor."

"That information is obsolete," FTR-416 replied evasively.

"I know, but I just need to know one thing. What did she look like?"

"Who?"

"My progenitor."

"She was a brown deer with colorful clothes typical of a Toon," FTR recalled, "She was accompanied by a yellow monkey and a green bear. We disposed of them as per our duties as janitorial drones. I was given all of the deer's possessions, which included you, my intern."

"I believe she survived the encounter," Frost Byte told him, "I have located her, but now I am uncertain how to proceed."

"Clarify."

"I can't," Frost replied anxiously, "That's the problem. I don't know what to do. She has been very supportive of me, but she'll hate me if she finds out I worked my entire life as a Cog intern. I can't handle that rejection, not when things are finally going well for me here!"

"Calm down," FTR ordered harshly, but then in a more level voice asked, "So, her opinion matters to you?"

"Yes."

"And her opinion will be negatively impacted by the knowledge that you are her child?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then do not tell her."

"You really think that's wise?" Frost asked uncertainly, "I mean, if we hang out long enough she's bound to get suspicious."

"Of what? She left us with an infant, and you return to her a business owner. If anything she should thank us."

"I suppose you're right," Frost conceded, "I must admit, I am pleased to have a Toon like her as my progenitor. She is pleasant, but not hyper like most Toons. She cares about people and does everything she can to help them. Admittedly her business model is terrible for profits. She doesn't even charge people for debt's sake! Still, I wish I could be as selfless as her."

"Charity equals death," FTR warned her, "If a Cog is charitable, then they will be taken advantage of. There is no evidence to support that it would be any different for a Toon. Look out for yourself alone, and do not become concerned with the affairs of other Toons. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Frost nodded even though he couldn't see her, "Ambition equals growth, charity equals death, and greed equals reward. I remember everything you taught me, sir."

"Before you hang up, there is one more bit of news I must share..."

FTR-416 sounded subdued and grave. Frost Byte knew whatever this news was it wouldn't be good, and she was almost afraid to hear his next words.

"Yes, sir?"

"DD-2831 has been demoted," FTR informed his protege, "She has been sent out to the field to battle Toons and liquefy buidings and assets."

"No!" Frost shrieked, "DD is a janitor and sales rep! She doesn't belong out there with those talentless hacks! She'll be destroyed!"

"Calm down, Frost Byte," FTR ordered, "DD-2831 is a capable Name Dropper with many years' worth of experience. I doubt it will be long before she is promoted back to Sellbot HQ."

"But why did this happen?" Frost sobbed, "I know DD could be lazy and talk behind people's backs, but that's not a good enough reason for this!"

"You are becoming emotional," FTR rebuked her.

" _What happened_!?" Frost screamed, not willing to give an inch.

"DD-2831 was caught altering the programming of an assembly of Skelecogs," FTR explained, "She refused to explain what she was doing, only stating that it would improve the performance of the Skelecogs once her work was completed. DD-2831 is not authorized to make repairs or adjustments to programming. She is a janitorial assistant, and my employee. It was a wonder I was not demoted along with her. RJ-5252 has taken on her responsibilities until I can requisition a new janitorial assistant for my department."

"I'm sorry," Frost whispered brokenly, "I know my outburst did nothing to help things. I'm...not feeling well. I should probably hang up. Thank you for taking my call. I know your time is more valuable than ever now that you are short-staffed."

"I will always make marginal amounts of time for you, Frost Byte," FTR assured her, "You are my greatest accomplishment."

"Thank you, I think I feel a little better now," Frost replied gratefully, "Listen, if you need me to close up shop and return to work at Sellbot HQ-"

"No," FTR replied sternly, "You have accomplished more as a Toon than you ever could have trying to be a Cog. You were correct when you decided to leave, and I will not take your success away from you just because I need another employee. Now go, rest, and be productive tomorrow. We will be fine here."

"Okay," Frost agreed, "Tell RJ-5252 I said hello."

"I will relay the message. Goodbye, Frost Byte."

With that FTR-416 hung up, and Frost Byte took a deep breath as she went to the back room and sat in her office chair. She felt queasy and her head hurt. Something was wrong with her, but she didn't know what it was. She couldn't stop worrying about DD-2831, and she felt sad at having to hide her identity from her own creator. Wait...sad...

"Oh, no," Frost Byte's eyes went wide as she realized what was happening.

She trudged to her desk to pull the Laff meter out of the drawer. She wanted to run but couldn't make her legs move fast enough. She held the little meter up to her chest to get a reading, and then looked at the result. It was just as she feared. Her Laff was at 0. She had gone sad!


	7. The Power of Gags

_Author's Notes: Ugh! I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated anything here on FF! It's already the 18th, and this is my first update of the month! Where did the time go? Heh, anyway, freakout aside, I'm pretty happy with how this chapter of "Frost Byte" turned out, and I hope you guys like it too. For some reason I've really been in a Toontown mood, but I've also been in a Transformers mood, so if you enjoy those fics look out for that. Thanks for reading and please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 7

The Power of Gags

Frost Byte could barely make herself move due to the sadness that had overtaken her. She trudged from the back room to the candy shop, searching for anything to make her happy again. She knew this low level of energy was dangerous to her if left unchecked. Even when working at Sellbot HQ she never remembered feeling this badly.

Wholesale followed her worriedly, sensing that something was wrong, but she barely even acknowledged the green Doodle. Everything on her just felt so terrible, and her entire body sagged as she struggled and failed to lift her head up. She made it to the counter of her shop and leaned against it, and looked around for anything that might help. She saw a jar of candy that she hadn't put away yet, and realized that Toons used her candy to regain Laff energy. She could too!

Frost tried to open the jar, but she was so weak that the lid wouldn't budge. She groaned and struggled with the lid, but all to no avail. She was so frustrated that she let the jar drop in hopes of breaking it and feasting on its treasures, but the jar just rolled harmlessly and anticlimactically under the counter.

"This is hopeless," Frost rasped, and realized even her voice was weaker, "If I don't do something I could become depressed. Maybe I deserve it. I abandoned my old job, I hide my true self from my friends and my mother, and I even broke a Bottom Feeder. Maybe depression is a fitting punishment. I'm clearly not meant for Toon Central...or anywhere for that matter."

It became a vicious cycle. The sadder Frost became the more rueful her thoughts, and the more she berated herself the more solidified her sadness became. She didn't even feel like trying to help herself anymore, so she just laid down on the floor and stared up at the ceiling; awaiting the depression that would cause her body to simply disappear.

"I wonder who will take over my candy shop," Frost whispered to herself, "Maybe Goofy's Gag Shop will expand. It would be the smart thing to do. Maybe Deerborne will get it. Patsy knows Deerborne is my mother. Maybe she'll help her file the paperwork. Oh who am I kidding? Toons can't file paperwork. I'm pretty sure they're allergic to actual hard work. Blasted Toons..."

Wholesale tried to nudge Frost Byte with his nose, but the most response he got was the blue deer staring at him with dull glassed over eyes. Wholesale then did something that got Frost Byte's attention. He squealed, put one floating foot in front of his chest, and fell over as his floating feet stiffened! It was so unexpected, and Frost got the distinct impression that Wholesale was mimicking her by playing dead. She smiled a little, and then chuckled softly. When Wholesale remained where he was but stuck his tongue out further to make his 'death' more convincing, Frost couldn't help but burst out laughing!

Frost continued to laugh as she managed to sit up, and then the Doodle stopped his charade to bounce onto her lap. She petted her Doodle, finally realizing why Deerborne insisted she have him. Service Doodles were bred to help with this very scenario; to keep low-Laff Toons from succumbing to depression. She buried her face into Wholesale's green feathers and hugged him tighter. This precious little guy had just saved her life.

* * *

The next day Frost Byte was back at her counter serving customers as if the previous day hadn't happened. She was grateful she could keep busy, because it kept her from thinking about awful things she couldn't control. Cooking, ringing up customers, and tallying up her profits was just what she needed.

Of course Wholesale was getting a lot of attention from customers, but now even Frost was feeding the little guy jellybeans. It was the least she could do. Paying an employee was not only expected among Cogs, but appreciated as well. How could she deny this tradition to her own little employee of the month?

Next in line was a pair of familiar faces, Pasty and Oliver McQuack. Frost actually smiled, a half smile to be fair, but she was too happy to see them to not show it today.

"Hey Frosty! Guess what?" Patsy asked in an excited tone of voice.

"I refuse," Frost replied cheekily, "What is it you wish to tell me?"

"I got a new gag!" Patsy announced as she bounced three feet in the air, "I trained hard, and I finally got a new gag! I am now allowed to use a slice of cream pie in battle! Isn't that great? I'm also at 20 Laff now!"

"Yeah, it's all she's talked about since this morning," Oliver chuckled.

"Hey, easy for you to forget how it feels, pal," Patsy chided Oliver, "You're a 36 Laffer and can throw whole fruit pies."

"Yeah, but I do understand," Oliver replied, "Every level feels special. So, how are you doing today, Frosty?"

"I have been well," Frost replied goodnaturedly, "Yesterday I went sad and almost became depressed, but was saved by Wholesale. He is a very good Doodle."

"You went _sad_?" Patsy gasped, "But how? Did you try to fight a Cog with only 5 Laff? Were you ambushed?"

"No. I simply learned of some unfortunate news and didn't quite know how to deal with it," Frost replied calmly, "I'm fine now. Tomorrow I'm going back to Seeds of Change for another session with the group."

"You walk all the way to Daisy Gardens by yourself?" Oliver asked skeptically, "What gags do you carry?"

"I do not carry gags," Frost replied as if the very notion was ridiculous.

"No gags!? Frosty, you have to carry gags!" Oliver insisted, and the Toons behind him in line started murmuring, "Frosty, Cogs are crafty and dangerous. What if one cornered you and strangled you with a necktie? Or shredded paper in your face? Or tried to force synergy on you?"

"Stop it, Ollie!" Patsy exclaimed, "You're going to make her go sad again!"

"I've often wondered how many Cogs shredded their own pink slips in battle and then showed back up to work like nothing happened," Frost pondered out loud, which earned several stares from her customers and friends, "Well, I suppose that's not important right now. I will purchase gags after work. In the meantime the line must keep moving. Please make your selections and move along."

Patsy and Oliver did as instructed, but Frost Byte could still see the worried expressions on their faces. Gags would not have saved her last night, but at the same time she knew her friends only had her best interests at heart. Because of this she would humor them and purchase a few gags. Not too many though, because she didn't want to eat up her profits. She didn't actually know how much gags cost, after all.

* * *

Later that day she found herself next door at Goofy's Gag Shop, and waited in line while other Toons selected their gags from the shopkeepers. Frost was a little curious about the weapons used against the Cogs since she had never actually trained for battle before. One time she saw RJ-5252 eat a banana peel left behind by a defeated Toon, but she wasn't exactly informed as to its purpose. She just knew it was disgusting, and DD-2831 agreed with her.

When Frost finally made it to the front of the line she came face to face with a happy looking blue dog, and suddenly she realized she didn't see any inventory. What kind of cockamamy shop was this?

"Um, who do I see about purchasing gags?" Frost asked; feeling a bit awkward about being so uninformed.

"Why me, of course! My name is Clerk Clark, and I can help you find any gag from levels one to six! We've got it all! Well, except level seven. Those are ordered as needed due to rarity and difficulty of use. So, what level and what type of gags are you looking for?"

"Well..." Frost didn't know what she was looking for since she didn't know the names of any gags, so she just made something up, "I'm capable of using level five gags."

"Which level five?" Clerk Clark asked.

"All of them," Frost lied, "I like to be perfectly balanced as a sort of personal challenge, so I train myself to have every gag at the exact same level. So, what level five stuff do you have available?"

"Hm, never heard of anyone that tried for perfect balance. Most people at least max their throw by the time they get to level five on other stuff," Clerk Clark commented.

"Well I did," Frost snapped a little too defensively, "Now, do you actually sell gags or just offer inane conversations?"

"Ouch! You seem grumpy. That wasn't very Toony," Clerk Clark retorted.

"Ergh! I don't have time for this! I have to be back at my shop in ten minutes!" Frost growled irritably.

"Hey," The rabbit at the next counter suddenly exclaimed, "Aren't you the owner of Neat Sweet Treats?"

"Yes, and right now there is no one watching my shop except for my jellybean-hungry Doodle!" Frost exclaimed irately, "Can you help me buy gags, or are you sold out?"

"Oh, sure. We have everything!" The rabbit replied enthusiastically, "My name is Clerk Clara, and I'll be happy to help you today. You look like a toon-up kinda Toon. Maybe I can interest you in some goose feathers, or maybe a megaphone?"

"She said she wants level five stuff," Clerk Clark told his colleague.

"Oh, well then you would love our bags of pixie dust! Guaranteed to restore Laff to your friends in battle," Clerk Clara explained.

"That sounds lovely, but right now I'm trying to buy defensive items," Frost explained, "Preferably something that wouldn't destroy the Cog directly. I'm not so much a warrior as I am a shopkeeper trying to keep my shirt."

"I understand," Clerk Clara replied, "Do you know how to use trap? Or maybe lure."

"What's the difference?" Frost asked, but then caught herself and added, "I mean, they're both effective gags that I use all the time. I just don't know why I should prefer one to the other."

Clara then dove under the counter, and when she came back up she was holding two gags. One looked like a wooden basement door, which just confused Frost Byte, but then she got a look at the other gag. It was a fishing pole that had 10 Cogbucks attached to the hook. Frost's glasses scanned the bill...it was real!

"Is that what I think it is?" Frost asked in awe as she pointed to the $10 bill.

"Yep, level five lure," Clara declared proudly, "This'll stop a single Cog for four minutes."

"How much is it?" Frost asked, finding it weird to be discussing the price of literal money.

"One jellybean," Clara replied, seeming a little confused, "Every gag is one jellybean."

" _Every_ gag?" Frost asked incredulously, "You mean a banana peel, with no banana I might add, costs the same thing as ten dollars and a fishing pole?"

"Yes," Clara nodded, "All gags are one jellybean. We hate to charge our customers so much, but if we didn't then there wouldn't be enough gags for everyone. The level seven gags are free, but only to those who prove themselves worthy."

" _Free_?" Frost practically wheezed out the obscene word, "You give your best stuff away for _free_?"

"Of course. It's the Toony way!" Clara beamed.

 _More like the sucker's way..._ Frost thought to herself, but then out loud asked, "How many of those lures do you have in stock?"

"Plenty, but we can only sell you ten at a time," Clara explained, "How many gags can your pouch carry?"

"Pouch?" Frost realized she didn't have a gag pouch, so she pulled out the only thing she had to carry stuff in; her briefcase, "I suppose I can carry whatever fits in here."

"You get that off a Cog?" Clark asked from the other counter, "Wow, you must be a real Cog crusher if you keep trophies around!"

Frost just tried to ignore the other shopkeeper. For some reason Clerk Clark annoyed her. Clara seemed more tolerable, but mostly because she reminded Frost so much of Patsy. She then wondered if all rabbits were that enthused about life.

"Would you like anything else besides the level five lures?" Clara asked.

"Um, what other lures do you have?" Frost asked in return.

Clara then showed her the complete lineup of lures, and Frost's eyes lit up. Level one lures were $1 bills. Level three lures were $5 bills. So much money! Frost wondered how Toons even got a hold of Cogbucks, but then decided it didn't matter. Her inner Sellbot was squealing with greedy joy, and her fingers instinctively moved to make a grab for the money.

"So you want some level three lures as well?" Clara asked when she saw Frost's reaction.

"Yes!" Frost replied perhaps a little too quickly, " _Ahem_ , I mean, I want ten level ones, ten level threes, and ten level fives. Thank you."

"Only lures?" Clara asked in concern, "Don't you need something that attacks Cogs after they're stalled?"

"Um, sure, I suppose," Frost stammered, "I'll just go with your recommendation."

"Well, you can't go wrong with a safe. It's a great drop gag, both funny and effective."

"You sell safes too?" Frost asked in surprise.

"Puh-lease," Clark scoffed, "Clara's just trying to sell them to you because nobody wants them. Drop gags rarely work. Even Cogs aren't stupid enough to hold still long enough for a safe to fall out of the sky and hit them."

"Well, I'd still like to purchase one," Frost insisted, "To test it, of course."

"Only one?" Clara asked.

"Yes. That's all I can carry for now," Frost told her, "So, what's my total?"

"31 jellybeans please!" Clara replied chipperly.

Frost smiled at the cashier, but it wasn't a Toony smile. It was a smile born of Sellbot hustle culture.

 _31 jellybeans...hah! I make that in ten minutes_.

Frost Byte then said goodbye to the cashiers and left with 30 fishing poles strapped to her briefcase and dragging a safe out of the store. Now she not only had $160 Cogbucks, but also a safe to put it all in. The best part was that she could go back the next day and buy even more! Soon she would be rich, by both Toon and Cog standards.

* * *

The next day Frost left her shop at the crack of dawn, leaving Wholesale to guard the place from intruders. Yes, she knew that wouldn't work, but he was the closest thing to a Goon she had. Sometimes Frost missed the Goons. Their cute little hard hats...their single eyes in the middle of their metallic heads...those bright spotlights that caught intruders. They were like junkyard pets.

Frost had a bundle of fishing poles in her briefcase and was walking to Donald's Dock to try to sell them. She knew the most serious fishermen and the best shops for fishing supplies could be found in that neighborhood, plus it was on the way to her support group in Daisy Gardens. She could sell the leftover fishing poles for more jellybeans than she paid for them, store the Cogbucks in her new safe, and then go to her support group knowing she had made so many good deals that day. She was so giddy she wondered if her Laff had increased.

She traveled from Barnacle Boulevard to Seaweed Street searching for the perfect shop to sell her wares. She found a place called All For Nautical, and figured it was probably a place that sold seafaring supplies. Surely they would also like some quality fishing poles.

Frost went inside and saw a short fat brown horse polishing an anchor. Well, it seemed her assumption was correct, and Frost went to adjust her tie only to remember she no longer wore one. To save face, she popped her collar instead.

"Good morning, sir," Frost greeted the horse with the general friendliness every good salesperson needed, "I see you're a Toon that knows quality merchandise."

"Are you here about the Bossbot suit?" The horse asked in a crusty voice, "Oh wait, no, I ain't seen you before."

"Um, no sir. You haven't," Frost's voice wavered slightly as she spoke, "Um, my name is Frost Byte, and I'm here to see if you could use a new supplier of fishing poles. My stock is of great quality, and I brought 30 items for you to sample; just to see how quickly they sell."

The horse got a skeptical look on his face, but then waddled over to see what Frost Byte had to offer. She noticed a few scars all around his body, and figured this guy must've had quite a rough life before settling down to run a shop. She only hoped her sales pitch, feeble as it was, could sway this guy. She might've been raised by Sellbots, but she was often far too shy to be effective at sales like they were. It was one reason she left to try to make it in Toontown instead. She assumed she was too Toony for Cogs. Turned out the problem was her.

"By the way, I never caught your name," Frost suddenly remembered to say.

"Shep," The horse replied, "Shep Ahoy. Now, let me see these fishing rods of yours."

Frost opened her briefcase and out spilled the contents of several tangled fishing poles. She simpered, hoping to make a better first impression than that, and feared she would lose the sale because of her careless behavior. Shep took one of the loose poles and examined the wood by rubbing it between his fingers. He then pulled the line, and looked at the hook in the light of a lantern he kept on his counter.

"These are no good for fishing," Shep declared, and Frost hung her head.

"I see. I'm sorry to bother you then," Frost replied; defeated.

"Hey, I didn't say I wouldn't buy them," Shep snorted, and Frost perked up to hear what he had to say, "These aren't good for fishing, but they would make great lure rods for Cogs. I can resell these to the gag shop here in town. I'll give you ten jellybeans for all 30 of them."

"Fifteen," Frost countered.

"Eh, fine. Fifteen. It's still only half a jellybean a rod, so I still come out ahead," Shep replied with an easygoing smile, "Pleasure doing business with ya. Oh, and if you see any Bossbots roaming the street here, give 'em one for me."

Frost just giggled without actually agreeing to Shep's casual request. No way was she going to be contracted to destroy Cogs, especially not Bossbots. They might not be from her department, but they controlled everything the other Cogs did. Even a Flunky outranked most Sellbots!

With her jellybeans in hand and the fishing poles out of her possession, Frost Byte made her way to the support group. By the time she got to Daisy Gardens she was ready to smell the flowers and listen to the laughter in the air. She wondered if she even needed to go to Seeds of Change today. She had made lots of money and felt great. Why did she need therapy now?

Of course she knew why she was going, and it had nothing to do with her mood. Frost wanted to see her mother again. She wanted to learn more about Deerborne, about Toontown, and about her Laff. Another part of Frost, the part she buried from the rest of the world, also liked being in this neighborhood because it was the closest one to Sellbot HQ. She felt closer to FTR-416 and her former colleagues here, even if she couldn't interact with them.

She walked down the street and made it to Seeds of Change. Frost felt her smile grow wider and she had a playful skip in her step. She knew it was ironic that the thing that made her feel the most Toony was her Cog-like ambition, but she couldn't help it. She might've been a Toon, but one doesn't outgrow a lifetime of monetary values overnight.

As she made it to the front door everything was going well, but then as she touched the doorknob she heard a shrill scream coming from inside! It was Deerborne!


	8. Shakedown

_Author's Notes: With this chapter I decided to go for drama. Hopefully it doesn't feel too melodramatic. I'm just happy this story is moving along again. Thank you to those who are reading, and please review if you feel like it :)_

* * *

Chapter 8

Shakedown

Deerborne was arranging the chairs into a circle for the group therapy session that day. She didn't know how many Toons would show up. She knew Sir Puff Puff always made time for group on this day of the week, though Jordan rarely did. She also knew Frost Byte was becoming a regular, so she could probably expect to see her as well. It would probably be a decent group, and that thought made Deerborne's Laff meter rise with joy.

She heard the door open and turned around to greet whichever Toon had shown up first, but instead she was met with the ugly sallow face of a Cog!

"AHHH!" Deerborne screamed in panic at the Sellbot before her.

The Cog, a Name Dropper if Deerborne remember correctly, smoothed her purple hair and straightened her tie. The Cog then stepped closer to Deerborne, who instinctively backed away. Some Cogs kidnapped shopkeepers, and others took over shops. Deerborne never thought such a thing would happen to her however since she ran a nonprofit, and Cogs hated nonprofit organizations.

"Well, well, well," The Name Dropper droned in her robotic voice, "This shop appears to be sufficiently large for the new business. I'll take it."

"Leave me alone. This is a charity," Deerborne snapped at the Cog, "You won't be able to make any money here."

"Silly Toon, we intend to change the business model of this establishment," The Name Dropper replied; unfazed, "Of course, if you really want me to go away and leave your shop in peace, you can always bribe me."

"B-Bribe? I don't understand," Deerborne replied in confusion, "What does 'bribe' mean?"

"It means you give me cogbucks, and I leave," The Name Dropper explained, "My going rate is 280 cogbucks. Cough up the dough and I won't sadden you. Otherwise, prepare to have a _very_ bad day."

"I, um, I don't have any cogbucks," Deerborne replied nervously, "But you can't have my shop! My patients rely on me."

"Patients? Like a Spin Doctor?" The Name Dropper asked, "Yeesh, I hate Lawbots. Prepare to fight for your shop, Toon. Let's be quick though. I have a luncheon with a very well-endowed Money Bags."

Deerborne screamed again and ran behind a chair. The Name Dropper threw calling cards at the deer, but she used the chair as a shield. The Name Dropper then used a magnifier to reflect the light of her shiny teeth, which blinded Deerborne for a second and lowered her already insufficient Laff. Deerborne knew she would probably be depressed, and only hoped her patients wouldn't meet the same fate.

Just as the Name Dropper started stealing stuff around the shop and filling her pockets, making Deerborne even sadder, the door flung open and the jingle bells crashed against the door's window; revealing Frost Byte.

"Deerborne! Are you alright?" Frost Byte asked frantically, "I heard someone scream."

 _Oh no, not now..._ Deerborne thought ruefully. Frost Byte, her newest patient, was likely going to be saddened by an invading Cog. The worst part was that Deerborne didn't have any gags, so there was nothing she could do about it.

"Frost Byte, get out of here!" Deerborne shouted desperately, "Run!"

"Frost Byte?" The Name Dropper repeated, and Deerborne feared the Cog would drown the younger Toon in business cards and black pen ink.

"Oh dear," Frost Byte said in concern as she eyed the Cog, "I, um, I see street work has been most...rewarding."

"Yeah, right!" The Cog harrumphed, "I feel like a Flunky! I haven't had to engage in street fights since I was a Cold Caller! If I don't fulfill my quest I'll never get back into the factory."

"What is your quest?" Frost Byte asked.

"I need to either take over two buildings or else bribe my direct superior with 500 cogbucks. I've been shaking down Toons all day but I'm still 280 cogbucks short."

Deerborne didn't know what to make of this. Frost Byte was just...talking to the Cog? Deerborne didn't know it was possible to do that. The Cogs were nothing more than robots programmed to hurt Toons and earn profit by any means necessary. She also had never heard of Cogs having quests the way Toons have tasks. Why was this the first she was hearing about it?

"Well, I know this won't fix everything, but I currently have $160 Cogbucks," Frost Byte told the Cog, "Do you have access to your sales catalogue?"

"My sales catalogue?" The Cog repeated skeptically, "You want to purchase items from me? Frost Byte, I can't let you do that. You're in business for yourself now, and philanthropy is a sign of weakness."

"Very well," Frost Byte replied agreeably, "Then rob me."

" _What_?" The Cog and Deerborne shouted at the same time.

"It's easy. I'm actually very weak by Toon standards," Frost Byte said encouragingly, "Just take my money and leave. It saves your reputation, gets you closer to your quest, and Deerborne gets to keep her shop. Everybody wins."

"Except for you," The Name Dropper pointed out, "What do you get out of this?"

Deerborne wanted to know that as well. Why would a Toon, any Toon, aid a Cog in their evil quest to take over Toontown? Deerborne didn't get to hear the answer however as Frost Byte whispered to the Cog, and the Cog looked over at Deerborne while they were speaking. The suspense was eating away at Deerborne, and she worried the Cog might take Frost Byte up on her offer.

The Cog then nodded in understanding, and out of nowhere used a synergy attack on the aqua colored deer; rendering her unconscious! Frost Byte's glasses fell to the floor; shattering the frames. It was the only sound in the room for a moment that seemed frozen in time.

The Cog took the money and walked away, and Deerborne ran to Frost Byte's side. Her patient's Laff meter was at zero! She had to get Frost to a doctor, and quickly!

* * *

The only doctor currently working in Daisy Gardens was Dr. Spud, a yellow cat who worked as an optometrist. Most of the doctors left Daisy Gardens shortly after the Sellbots' hostile takeover. Dr. Spud remained despite the boring robots and their orderly chaos, however she wasn't exactly a Laff specialist, so...

"I'm not sure what you expect me to do, Deerborne," Dr. Spud said helplessly as she looked down at the unconscious form of Frost Byte, "I mean, I could recommend new glasses for her when she wakes up, but other than that, well..."

"I don't know what to do," Deerborne whispered as she struggled to keep herself from crying, "Frost Byte saved my life. She didn't even fight the Cog. She just told it that it could rob her if it left me alone. Those monsters...I hate them. I hate what the Cogs have done to our beautiful world. It's a shame young Toons like Frost have grown up knowing no other life than fighting and working to liberate our people. This shouldn't be their job. Having fun and starting careers that make them feel Toony inside should be their jobs."

"True, but until then I suggest you take your patient to Toon Central. There are more doctors in that area due to it having better protection from building takeovers. That being said, do you want me to fix her broken glasses?"

"Yes. How much will that cost? I'll cover it."

"100 jellybeans," Dr. Spud replied, "It would normally be more, but this poor Toon has been through enough, and so have you. Do you know what makes her happy? Maybe that would get her to wake up."

"Her Doodle makes her happy, but she left him at Toon Central where she lives," Deerborne explained, "I don't even know what street her estate is on. She never really talks about her home in group therapy. Just her candy shop. That shop is her pride and joy."

"Well then, maybe get a doctor to make a house call on her there," Dr. Spud suggested, "Just make sure she's someplace that makes her feel good. A Toon with a Laff meter of 5 shouldn't be walking such long distances to Daisy Gardens. Maybe she should find a support group someplace closer to where she lives."

"There is no other place!" Deerborne argued, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to talk about this problem with Toons who don't have it? Just _talking_ to us lowers their Laff meters, so they just want us to go away so they can live their happy non-confrontational lives. Well it isn't that easy. My patients need me, because I'm the only one willing to be honest with them. The world is a hard place to live in so long as there are Cogs, and having a low Laff meter only makes it harder. My patients are one bad day away from permanent depression. Low Laff is a potentially fatal illness. Are you telling me to cut Frost Byte's lifeline?"

"No, I'm not telling you to cut a lifeline. I'm telling you to cut the anchor rope around her waist," Dr. Spud replied sternly, "I know you think you're helping her, but you're not. Every time Frost Byte makes the journey to your little therapy group she risks dying in a Cog fight she's not qualified to face. She has the Laff of an infant, yet you're asking her to make an adult-sized journey every week. She can't handle that, and you need to stop pushing her."

Deerborne wanted to argue, wanted to retort, but she couldn't think of anything to say that negated what Dr. Spud was telling her. She looked down forlornly at Frost Byte, who looked so small and fragile lying in that examination chair. Without her glasses she looked even less in control, and now Deerborne could also see how young the aqua deer's face looked. Frost almost died, may yet die, because she took damage on Deerborne's behalf. How could Deerborne live with this, and even keep pushing her after all Frost had been through?

* * *

It had been about an hour since Deerborne brought Frost Byte to Dr. Spud's clinic. Dr. Spud was in another room fixing Frost's glasses, and Deerborne was sitting in a chair next to the examination chair where Frost Byte slept. Deerborne kept a constant vigil; unwilling to leave her ailing patient's side. After an hour however, Frost began to stir.

"D..." Frost muttered as she struggled to wake up, "DD..."

"It's me, I'm here," Deerborne replied, assuming Frost was calling for her, "You're safe now."

"She's my mother..." Frost rasped; still half asleep, "...Safes only cost a jellybean. Like giving candy to a baby...and then stealing their toy..."

Deerborne giggled, knowing that Frost Byte was still delirious yet grateful she was mostly alright. Frost Byte then opened her eyes, but when she looked up at Deerborne's smiling face something was missing. There were no stats, no graphs, and no battery life meter in the corner of her vision.

"Where are my glasses?" Frost Byte asked; realizing the problem immediately.

"Dr. Spud is repairing them," Deerborne informed her, "I'm going to walk you back to your estate in Toon Central, okay?"

"I live in my shop," Frost Byte told her, "Estates cost jellybeans, and I feel like I would rather have the jellybeans than the house right now. I might buy an estate to retire in."

"Well, if that's what feels right to you," Deerborne replied without judgment, "Then I'll take you to your shop. I just want to make sure you get home safely."

"Oh, I'll be fine. I just need my glasses," Frost Byte assured her.

"Listen, Frost Byte...I don't think..." Deerborne had trouble getting her words out, but she swallowed her apprehension and finally told her, "I don't think you should come to group anymore."

"Pardon me?" Frost asked in confusion, "I don't understand. Are you kicking me out? Is this about DD?"

"No, it's about you," Deerborne replied, choosing to ignore the part she didn't understand, "Frost, you have too far to travel to get to my sessions. You don't have the Laff for that. If you became depressed because of me, I would never forgive myself. My patients are important to me, and you have made so much progress since you started coming to group. I can see it in your eyes. You're happier now. You don't need me anymore."

"Oh, now that's not fair!" Frost Byte protested caustically, "I passed out because it was synergy! Even Cogs hate synergy! What did you expect from me!?"

"It's okay, Frost. I know you have struggles just like the rest of us," Deerborne tried to smooth over the rift, but Frost Byte was having none of it.

"No! I am not like you!" Frost Byte screamed, "I'm not like any of you! Don't you understand, you _weh barping_ trusting deer!? I am a _freak_! I don't belong here! I don't belong in Toon Central! I don't belong in a factory or a building or even the HR department! Do you know how antisocial someone has to be to be too dysfunctional for Human Resources!? I don't belong anywhere!"

"Calm down! You're Laff is going to-!" Deerborne tried to say.

"Let it drop!" Frost Byte screeched, "Let it sink down lower than a penny stock! I can't live like this! If you don't need me then I don't need you! I don't even understand what the function of a mother is anyway. Drawing me doesn't mean you know me!"

"Wait, what did you say?" Deerborne quickly asked.

"I said goodbye!" Frost Byte shouted as she stormed out of the chair, out of the office, and out the front door.

As the door slammed Deerborne was left feeling too stunned to fully comprehend her surroundings. Drawing her? Was Frost Byte trying to say that she was...? No, it couldn't be! The Cogs killed her daughter. It had been 16 years ago. Then again, Frost Byte was 16 years old, and she was the same color as Deerborne's daughter. She even had the large antlers that Deerborne drew her with even though they were more popular with male Toons. Even her nasally voice sounded like Deerborne's aunt Jane Doe. Could it really be?

"Oh no," Deerborne could feel her Laff drop the more she thought about it.

Frost Byte...was her daughter. And she knew. She never told Deerborne, but she _knew_. Frost felt abandoned by her mother...again. Deerborne then began to wonder where Frost had been for all these years if they had never run into each other. She concluded that some nice family in Toon Central must have taken her in. If that was true however, then why did Frost not understand the concept of parenthood? That would indicate she was never adopted.

"This is terrible," Deerborne muttered to herself as she sat on the exam chair, "My baby lived alone for all these years. She was likely placed in an orphanage, or even left to fend for herself on the streets. No wonder her Laff never developed. She was practically depressed from the moment I fought those Cogs. What have I done? I never even thought to check orphanages for her. I have to catch up to her. I have to tell my baby I love her!"

Deerborne then ran out the door, much to Dr. Spud's surprise.

"Hey! You still need to pay me for fixing these glasses!" Dr. Spud shouted after her, "Um, okay! Just remember to pick them up tomorrow!"


End file.
